


Just Another Reason to Hate the Government

by vilnolin



Series: Tales of the Winchester Clan [1]
Category: Dark Angel, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Gen, JARtHtG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-11
Updated: 2010-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 23:40:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 128,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vilnolin/pseuds/vilnolin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>65 Seals have broken. Sam's in Demon Blood Anonymous, and Time's Up. Government Conspiracies, really pissed off spirits, and deep questions about clones, life and fate ensue. Also, Narcissism. Squared. <br/>Originally Published: April-August 2009<br/>Revised: May 2010<br/>Reformat: October 2014</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  Spoilers: up to and including all aired episodes of both SPN and DA  
> Warning: confusion, body swapping, sex, drug use, craziness, batman!moves, character death, au, retroactive continuity and lots of other insane stuff. but no zombies.  
> Disclaimer: _Dark Angel_ is owned by Cameron/Eglee Productions and 20th Century Fox Television. _Supernatural_ is owned by Kripke Enterprises, Warner Bros. Television, Wonderland Sound and Vision (in association with), and Supernatural Films. All original characters belong to me, all rights reserved and all lefts reversed.

**SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  
MAY 2009**  
  
                “I don’t like this, not at all.” Keegan frowned, sparing Dean a glance that was little more than a blink before staring back at out the window. And Dean  _hated_  that about her. It was bad enough that Castiel had dumped her on them just two months ago, saying she would help them deal with Sam’s ‘issues’ (Dean had made a snarky comment about angels taking time off to play pimp for his little brother, but just got that slightly sad stare that Castiel was so fond of using…such a waste of a joke) but so far, all she had done was cut them off every chance she could with that damn crotch-rocket motorcycle of hers, and appear out of thin air into fully warded rooms—which did help, especially when Dean discovered that, if Sam didn’t get his dose of demon blood, he tended to go into withdraw. Keegan was able to  _do_  something, something that made the shaking stop, which helped the blackness disappear from his eyes when he used his powers…and helped him develop new ones. Dean didn't like that part so much.  
                It just bugged him that she seemed to have taken a liking to booking the motel room next to theirs (despite Dean trying to lose her on several occasions) and randomly popping in when withdraw symptoms peaked. Granted, that definitely had perks, but the chick was young (he never managed to get a hold of her id…) and somehow, he didn’t think Castiel would like him hitting on the ‘rehab chick’. But currently, he really hated the fact that Sam was telling Ruby to back the fuck off, and he wasn’t there to back him up. Yes, he understood all that Twelve Step crap about having to do it himself, but Ruby was a  _demon_ , and the only way Keegan had managed to keep Dean in the room was by physically tying him to a chair.  
                So yeah, he was doubly irked. Even if she did promise to let him go before Sam came back in. “Did she leave yet?”  
                “She’s still there, mate.” Keegan rasped in her lower London accent, but at least this time she turned and faced him. “Why? You have to piss or somethin’?” Dean just glared at her again.  
                “Explain to me again what you are.”  
                “None of your concern, that’s what. I’m doin’ this as a favor to Cas.” She said, turning back to the window. Dean rolled his eyes, letting his head hit the back of the chair. “I’m not a demon, and I’m not an angel, I told you.”  
                “I just wanna know so I can lose your fine ass.” She let out a low growl and spun.  
                “What part of ‘divine mission’ don’t you understand?”  
                “Didn’t you also say he wasn’t your god?” And here he was, in another argument with a girl who spoke funny, but had also gotten his ass handed to by. What he wasn’t expecting was that one second, she was by the window, a good yard away; the next she was directly in front of him, straddling his legs and holding his hair in a grip that made his neck feel like it was going to pop.  
                “Yes, I did. Castiel’s father is  _not_  my god, and yet, here I am, helping you save your brother’s demon infected arse. My people have a strict rule of non-interference, and yet,” she made a mocking gasp, her eyes flaring a bright green, “Here I am. So shut up before I turn you into a woman and then sic a man like yourself on you.” And she was just…gone. So were the ropes keeping him in the chair. He had just enough time to recognize that Keegan was no longer in the room when the door slammed open and Sam stalked in, not bothering to close it, and obviously pissed.  
                Dean looked out the open door to see Keegan talking to Ruby very quietly, and was a little shocked to see that, in the daylight, she didn’t look…real. And Ruby didn’t seem to want to get too close. He wished he could hear. “She just can’t take ‘no’ for an answer!” And Sam decided  _now_  was the time to share. Great. “I don’t want her blood, or her body, and she just doesn’t get that!”  
                “She IS a demon, Sam. “ And, seeing Sam start to nod, he couldn’t help but add, “And I did warn you.” He knew it wasn’t a smart thing to do, so he wasn’t entirely surprised when he felt a giant hand shove him off the chair to the floor. He was a little surprised the hand was not actually attached to anything— or actually visible—but then again, his brother was a freak. At least his eyes weren’t turning black anymore. A second later, the door slammed shut again, and both brothers looked up to see Keegan back inside, but this time, Castiel was with her. And, for once, Keegan didn’t look like she found it funny or amusing or really anything at all. Dean was a little worried. She looked scared, which didn't bode well at all.  
                “Dean, Sam, It’s good to see you again.” But before he got any further, Keegan snapped a question at him in that damned language that neither Sam nor Dean recognized or had any luck thus far in translating. Castiel looked at her, and then quietly shook his head, answering with one word in that language before turning back to Sam and Dean. “I come with some bad news.”  
                “Oh great.” Dean snapped, pulling himself off the floor. This was not the day he wanted. “Let me guess, another two month hiatus from hunting so we can have more Demon Blood Anonymous? No offense, Sam.” Sam, he knew, wouldn’t take it personally. He had been the one to start the joke.  
                “It’s worse.”  
                “What is it?” Sam somehow managed to look diminished despite his size.   
                However, Castiel didn’t answer. Keegan did. “They’ve broken sixty-five seals. I have to go try to stop the last one from going, and Castiel is going to try to help you stop Lucifer.” She looked sad, and suddenly a lot older.  
                “No offense, Cas, but that’s kinda lame. How is Keegan gonna stop a seal from breaking by herself?” Dean demanded. Sam nodded.   
                “Keegan is very powerful, Dean.”  
                “I have yet to see proof that she is.”  
                “I know she is.” Dean stared at Sam, because that was the last thing that Dean expected to hear from his brother’s mouth. “When I’m in withdraw, and she just makes it stop, it’s not just her soothing personality, Dean.”  
                “Then what the hell is it?”  
                “Nothing to do with Hell, actually.” Keegan said, chuckling in a sardonic way. “I’m Fae. Faerie. Human born with the soul of a Faerie who died. Have been for every incarnation. Hence the reason why most people assume Faeries don’t have souls...”She gave them a small smile. “I’m still mostly human. Just…better. Kinda like the natural born psychics.” Castiel said something in that language and she froze for a moment, before nodding and then looking at Sam and Dean again and offering a very weak smile. “Well, I best be going. Got the world to save and all.” She then was just in front of the two brothers, giving them each a hug before she was just gone.  
                Castiel was giving a wistful smile to the last spot she had been when Dean looked at him again. “ We must hurry, this ritual will take a while.”  
                Dean knew he wasn’t going to get anymore answers. It didn’t stop him from interrogating Castiel until he did his freaky angel disappearing thing again. Sam just let him do it, and chose to follow Cas’ orders instead.  
                Dean felt so over-ruled. Stupid angels. Stupid demons. Stupid…Faeries. Oh god, Faeries. Like his world wasn’t more screwed up.  
  
 **WYOMING**  
1996  
  
                Keegan tensed as she pushed the last bit of the veil back, stepping through into the darkness that surrounded her. There were woods around, that was good. Very good. “Freeze!”  _That_  wasn’t. She did as she was asked, making a face. “Hands on your head!” Slowly, she moved her hands to her head. “Turn around slowly.” And she did. The first thing she noticed is there were three red dots on her chest. Laser sights. She was screwed to hell, because that meant there was at least two more she couldn’t see.  
                “I think I’m lost.” She said, pushing her accent as far as she could; she’d gotten out of speeding tickets by claiming to be on holiday on more than one occasion. Catching sight of the large, barbed wire fence meters beyond the man speaking to her, though, she figured that wouldn’t work.  
                And right about now she  _really_  wished she had some of that immortality her ancestors had, because she had the funniest feeling she wasn’t going to make it to her scheduled death date. “I think…I should go…” She started to back up, and was rewarded with four more dots lighting up her chest. Oh shit. “Well, boys, it’s been fun…” And she  _shoved_. The three men in front of her that she could see folded like they had been kicked in the balls (which they had been, but she didn’t think they’d really register that it had happened telekinetically) and she turned and—  
                It felt like she was on fire. She blindly reached through the pain and felt two impact points in her shoulder, attached to a wire—a Taser. Double shit. She yanked them out, her vision blackening— _this is_ not _where I’m supposed to be—_ and tried to run again. She heard gun shots, but they were far off.  She never heard the one that pierced her heart. All she knew was she was falling, and there were boots, boots by her eyes. She couldn’t breathe, she wanted to sleep…  
                “Get a sample of her ova before she cools. I want to know how she did that. Maybe we can use her for…” And that was the last thing she heard.  


***

  
                Thirteen years later and a couple hundred miles away, Dean and Sam both woke up with a start, and were unable to go back to sleep… Something was wrong…  
  
 **NEVADA**  
JUNE 3rd 2009  
  
 _Now_ , Dean was pissed. Not that he wasn’t pissed before, but Cas was deliberately keeping them out of the loop. Yesterday, Sam and he had woken up from the dream, knowing something was wrong. They then spent the entire day trying to find out where Keegan went off to. That’s when Cas dropped in and said in a very sad, hollow voice, that Keegan had failed, and that the last seal was broken. They had six days to complete the ritual, to bind Lucifer’s powers and give the angels a fighting chance to stop him. Sam, of course, had asked about Keegan. Cas had refused to say anything.  
                Dean had suggested they search medical records, M.E. reports, even police reports, but they had no last name. Until a piece of paper suddenly appeared on Dean’s pillow in a strange loopy handwriting that read: _Dean, Keegan was my friend for many centuries through many of her incarnations. Her last name is Hanson. Check in the Gillette, Wyoming area. C._ And that, at least, was a starting point.  
                “Dean, I got something!” Sam exclaimed, but, his face was…worried. Sad. Leaning over his brother, he hastily read the screen:

Girl Found On Side of Road, Brutalized.  
The young girl found on the side of the road two days ago by a government facility died yesterday. Her name was Keegan Hanson, of London, England. Her family officially reported her missing last week when she disappeared from her University flat. “It’s a horrible tragedy that someone so young was taken from this earth so early,” Said Donald Lydecker, CO of the air force base where she was found, “We’ve launched our own investigation into this kidnapping, and intend to get to the bottom of it, with the British Prime Minister’s approval of course.” Hanson was only 20 years old.  
                There was a picture of her, smiling—one Dean recognized from her wallet, she had dragged them to one of those photo booths a week before Cas showed up—and yep, it was Keegan. The article was dated June 3rd, 1996. “That’s impossible.” Sam stated, shaking his head. “That has to be a typo.”  
                Dean just shook his head. “Angels have sent me back before Sam…I just don’t think they sent her back…I think she did it on her own…” When Sam just stared, he shook his head. “Oh come on, like you didn’t notice she could…I dunno, bamf or something? Maybe she could time travel too. She’s like that Hiro kid on that show that wants to be  _X-Men_.”  
                Sam opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Castiel appearing in the center of the room, and Dean counted that as him winning the argument anyway. They both stood.  
                “It’s time?” Castiel nodded. “How’d Keegan get into 1996?”   
                “She had a unique set of abilities due to her reincarnations.”  
                “Are you going to tell me anything?” Dean wasn’t surprised when he got the sad eyes from Castiel again. He was pissed, but not surprised.  
  
 **NEVADA  
JUNE 7th 2009  
11:50pm**  
  
                Dean  _was_  pissed, however, when he realized that the entire operation was going sideways and there were a shitload of demons he really didn’t expect to have to deal with. Somehow, Castiel had neglected to mention that little tidbit. Sam was using everything he had to keep them outside the building—wind had blown the salt around, breaking the circles they had carefully placed as a just in case.  
                At this rate, they wouldn’t even make it to the ritual by the time the clock struck midnight…and it was getting damn close. Like, real close. “ _Deus, in nómine tuo salvum me fac, et virtúte tua age causam meam. Deus, audi oratiónem meam; áuribus pércipe verba oris mei. Nam supérbi insurréxunt contra me, et violénti quasiérunt vitam meam; non proposuérunt Deum ante óculos_ …damnit Sam! What comes next?”  
Sam yelled something, but it was muffled by a very alarming flow of blood from Sam’s nose, which he was now wiping away continuously, his navy blue shirt now purple to his left elbow. Dean took that to mean “Look in the papers Castiel gave you, dumbass!” and grabbed the book, trying to keep the candles lit at the same time—mother fucking wind!  
                A clock chimed somewhere. It was midnight. In a dive, Dean grabbed the papers (now attempting to blow themselves around the abandoned shack they had sealed themselves in) and yelled out the rest of the Latin at the top of his lungs. For a full minute there was nothing but silence, only broken by the soft plit-plat of Sam’s nose bleed and both of their heavy breathing.  
                And then there was a bright light. With a glance to each other, they both crowded the single window the shack had and stared up towards the sky where it there seemed to be a mushroom cloud forming…the impact wave hit. The last thing Dean remembered was that his watch stopped. It was 12:05 am.  
  
 **LOCATION UNKNOWN**  
STOP TIME

  
                “You’re sure?”  
                “Plans have already been made… their souls cannot stay in limbo for much longer.”  
                “You know they will not agree to it.”  
                “They will not remember.”  
                “But…these things…they aren’t even—“  
                “Are you doubting, Castiel?”  
                Castiel hung his head, squared his shoulders and then looked back up. “I just…would like an explanation…”  
                “Your ward has rubbed off on you.” Castiel nodded, it was a fair observation. “Do you doubt our Father’s plan? Would he have not let them fail if it was not in his grand design to let it happen?”  
                “I understand.”  
                “Then take them back.”  


**WYOMING**  
LATE 1996  
                “Two more showed up in the woods. They were shot on sight.”   
                The man at the desk smiled. “Bring them in.”


	2. Chapter 2

**WYOMING**  
1997

_First cloning of DNA sample 1578579 was completed yesterday morning. Embryo died before any tests could be run._  
                _Genetically altered DNA sample 1578579 with project X5 specifications. Embryo healthy. Implantation planned._  
 _Genetically altered DNA sample 1578583 with project X5 specifications. Embryo healthy. Implantation planned._

  
**WYOMING**  
1998

_01.23.98 Surrogate 02 went into labor at 23:50._  
                _01.24.98 X5-112 born, male, 18.5 inches, 5.78lbs. barcode reads: 330412498112_  
 _05.02.98 Surrogate 04 went into labor at 10:23. X5-113 born, male, 16inches, 6.34lbs. barcode reads: 330450298113_  
 _UPDATE: Anomaly found in X5-113 genetic code, presumably from original subject. Contaminant of unknown origin. Original subject had ‘abilities’, as quoted by scout, replication of embryo halted until contaminant is explained. Unit **NOT**  terminated, due to interest of study._  
 _Implantation planned for derivative of X5-112 DNA (twinning planned as well)._

  
**WYOMING**  
1999

                _05.07.99 Twinning successful. X5-493 and X5-494 (optimized for social skills) born healthy._

                _05.09.99 Twinning successful. X5-495 and X5-496 (optimized for tracking) born healthy._

**WYOMING**  
2009

_Twelve X5’s escaped. Among them, several ‘twinned’ units. The Following units X5-112, 211, 418, 453, 472, 494, 496, 600, 657, and 735 were placed in Psy-Ops for possible genetic carryover (twinning). X5-001, 102, 105, 113, 206, 345, 387, 511 and 798 were placed in Psy-Ops after being deemed “at risk” for aberrant behavior. Reindoctrination and Simplification procedures to be observed._   
_X5-112 was released from Psy-Ops due to seizure._   
_X5-113 was sent to infirmary after failing to stand for more than two minutes at attention before collapsing. Suspect Reindoctrination procedure responsible due to unusual behavior of brain waves recorded during procedure. One week of observation granted for study, and if no progress in explaining this phenomenon, unit will be euthanized and dissected._   
_06.08.09[backlogged on 06.09.09] 00:05 hours this morning, X5-112 and X5-113 were found dead in their bunks. Cause of death was Serotonin deficiency, which caused Seizures._   
_NOTE: Bodies presumably burned, autopsy paperwork and all other relevant records are missing, presumably due to terrorist deployed electromagnetic pulse that wiped all systems_

  
**LOCATION UNKNOWN**  
STOP TIME  
  
                “You retrieved the duplicates?”  
                “Yes. The humans in charge believe they are dead. The children are alive and well.”  
                “Push their souls in.”  
                “Sir?” A pause. “Shouldn’t we age them first? They are only 11…and they will not understand why they have suddenly de-aged.”  
                “That requires a rank higher than your own.”  
                “I feel quite strongly about this. I pulled him from Hell myself.”  
                Another pause. “It will be done. They will have to be warned though…they will have lost two weeks…”  
                “More like 11 years…and then some…”  
                “Castiel.”  
                “Sorry sir.”

**SOUTH DAKOTA  
2009**  
  
                Dean sat up. He wasn’t sure why, but even that movement felt…weird. Different. Not right. Glancing to his left, he saw Sam, sprawled out on his stomach, dead to the world and taking up more than the twin bed had to offer. Well, some things hadn’t changed. It didn’t take him long to recognize the guest room at Bobby Singer’s place. What bothered him was why the wall clock was stubbornly stuck at 12:05, with the wheel thing stuck on AM, when, clearly, there was light out. And then he looked back at Sam, who had shuffled the sheets in his sleep. Only it had sounded like  _Dean_  had shuffled  _his_  sheets. He looked closer, there was something on the back of Sam’s—  
                His eyes did  _something_  --he wasn’t sure what—and suddenly, he could see it, as if through a telescope. It was a barcode. He could even read the damned lines: 330450298113. A vague memory of bunks, and lessons, and training brushed past his eyes. Probably some dream. And he was probably drugged up on pain killers. Yeah, that had to be it. Sam had to be dragged to get their anti-demon tattoo…He glanced down at his bare chest. There was no tattoo. And it  _was_  his body—minus the scars that had disappeared when he was resurrected from Hell before—but not the tattoo. Oh shit.  
                And something tickled the edge of his hearing…voices, whispering voices. With a speed he wasn’t even aware he possessed, he was down the stairs and outside, searching for them. Castiel, and Bobby…and was that Ellen? And Jo? They all looked at him like he had grown another head, and he ignored it, stalking over to them with a single mindedness that filled him with a sense of familiarity. “I don’t know which one of you did it—my money’s on Castiel, but damn we hunters are a crazy bunch—but  _what_  the fuck did you guys do to me and Sam?”  _Everyone_  looked anywhere but at him. He knew he had them cold.  
                He was not expecting there to be a yelp of “Dean? DEAN!” And then realized why everyone had looked so thunderstruck when he had showed up. Sam was big, and he was fast. That alone made him hard to watch in a fight—just too much for people to take in. But now… Dean didn’t even  _see_  his brother run up next to him. What he saw was a blur. Sam was moving fast enough to blur. He was also eyeing the back of Dean’s neck with a look that Dean could  _feel_. “What the hell happened, and why does Dean have a barcode on his neck?” Dean slapped a hand over the back of his neck and felt like his world was spinning. Which it was.  
                “You’re not going to like this, boys.” Bobby warned, his voice a little gruff. Jo was just staring open mouthed at the two, and Ellen nodded, looking worried. Dean made a cursory glance to make sure they were at least partially clothed (they were, boxers, thank god) and then went back to his ‘I want answers’ look. Sam crossed his arms an imitated the look.  
                Unsurprisingly (and Dean counted another win in his book), Castiel spoke. “We didn’t count on side effects from defeating Lucifer…and locking him back in Hell. There was a large electromagnetic pulse that swept over the West Coast of the United States.”  
                “Government is blaming terrorists, the stupid idiots.” Ellen interjected. “And now, the good ole’ US of A is basically a third world country. We have no internet, cell phones don’t work yet, power is off in most places, and everyone is broke. Well, ‘cept us, but that was thanks to Castiel.”  
                Castiel made a modest nod before speaking again. “Problem was, the Pulse detonated directly over your ritual space. Your bodies were killed. We…had them put into a genetics research project which we just broke you out of.”  
                There was a long pause.  
                “Wait, we were—“  
                “You WHAT?”  
                “Killed? He did say—“  
                “No, no, You’ve got—“  
                “Killed? Seriously?”  
                “Kidding me!”  
                “Genetics?”  
                “That’s just not—“  
                “Possible, I know!”  
                “If you two are done shouting at each other!” Dean and Sam turned and faced Bobby with surprised looks on both their faces. Bobby nodded. “Thank you. Now, I don’t think Castiel was done. He was just explaining the finer points to us.”  
                “Your service has been greatly appreciated, and I wanted to make sure you got a second chance. Now, you are genetically enhanced, but your souls are your own. You’re also aged…it is only a glamour. Your bodies will appear eleven years old on any tests you might go for, so please, try not to get hurt. You’ll also need these.” Castiel handed them both a large bottle of pills each. “I saw in your file that due to the genetic manipulations they performed, your brain has a deficiency in a certain chemical. Take those, and you should be able to control your seizures. I have to return home now.” The last part was said in a rush, and it was as if there was a force pulling at him.  Before either could speak, Castiel was gone. Bobby, Ellen and Jo just stood there, pretending not to stare. With the angel gone, Dean glanced over at Sam, and knew why. Sam looked like he was barely sixteen again, still nearly 6’2’’, but softer, younger. Dean could only imagine his body had regressed as well.  
                “I need a beer.”  
                “Hun, you look like a kid.” Dean glared at Ellen.  
                “I’m fucking thirty! I’ve died twice! I’m having a fucking beer!” And he punched a nearby car door, simply to vent his frustration. What he wasn’t expecting was the metal to buckle inwards. “Holy shit! Did you see that?”  
                “Jo, honey, I think we got some research to do.” Ellen said, raising her eyebrows. Bobby just muttered something about ‘Boys’.  
                Dean and Sam were having far too much fun seeing  _exactly_  what they could do.  
  
 **COLORADO  
2010**  
  
                “Not good not good not good not good!” Dean sprang mid-step changing direction before the werewolf pack—a pack, who the hell had actually made a  _pack_  of werewolves?—and flipping clear over the six or so pack members. Sam was nowhere near him, which used to cause him some major issues, but now it was just reassuring. Dean had gotten every aspect of his genetically engineered body, even though he still looked far too young in his opinion. Sam was just, not quite as fast, definitely not as strong (though he still put a normal human to shame), and compatibly agile, but his ‘demon powers’…that was scary. He still had those, and they seemed to not need any feeding. He couldn’t kill anymore, but he could trap, and if he really focused, he could exorcise. And his telekinesis was vastly improved—the dreams were gone.  
                Today, however, he was on a roof, a half block away, using the scope on a sniper rifle (and the telescopic lenses of his eyes) to lock onto the leader’s chest. He fired. Dean counted seven shots, and watched as seven werewolves dropped. He flashed a thumbs up, knowing that Sam could see him, and headed back towards the car. Sam was there less than two minutes later, and they got in, turned up the tape deck (Dean had been so  _happy_  to hear that the Pulse fried Sam’s—and everyone else’s—ipods), blasting ‘Back in Black’ as loud as they could stand it.  
                After that, Bobby cleared them for hunting on their own. Sam jokingly called them Solo Missions. Dean thought it sounded familiar, in that bad, twisting way.  
  
 **NEW YORK  
2012**  
  
                Post-Pulse America sucked…that was Dean’s honest to god opinion. True, there was less in the way of the supernatural to fight, but everywhere was cracking down. They had ran to the east coast after the west had declared martial law in most of the cities. They made their money by hiring themselves out as personal security, bar tenders, and any other job they could grab. Credit cards were a thing of the past, which sadly meant they lost out on a lot of what Dean called ‘easy money’. They could use their real names, since most of the files on them—including the Henrikson case, and ultimately him ‘killing’ them—were wiped in the Pulse, they were able to flash their real social security cards, and due to their dad’s veteran status (and the fact Bobby had kept all of John’s papers since, as Bobby put it “The man was too much an idjit to do it for himself.”), they ended up with the highest clearances they could get, sector passes and proper id.   
                “No hiding.” Sam had said, smiling and holding up his sector pass like it was his first driver’s license.  
                “Dude, you do realize Bobby made us  _younger_  right?” While Dean had argued that he was thirty-three , that he had every right to drink, that he  _earned_  it damn it, Bobby had pointed out that, as soon as Castiel had left, Dean and Sam’s bodies had seemingly tried to ‘equalize’ their souls’ ages with the body’s age. That left them looking despairingly young, and Bobby had decided to err on the side of caution and make them sixteen and twenty. It had been a whole year before Dean had been allowed to drink outside of Bobby’s house. He hadn’t like that. He still resented it, now, two years later. But, Sam had just shrugged it off, embraced the life, and (somehow) got a G.E.D. just to do things properly. Dean thought it was crazy. Then again, their life was crazy.  
                Case in point, the fact they had a bunch of military men with guns staking out the bar they had just left, and Dean could just see the man in charge—and he got a strange chill in his stomach, like he was staring at someone he should know, know and  _fear_ —questioning the barkeep. He had a feeling it wasn’t because the man had let his supposedly eighteen year old brother have a drink. He thought it might have something to do with the way the one man in the corner had reacted to the barcode on the back of his neck.  
                Sam tapped him on his shoulder, and he turned to look—shocked that he could see even after all this time—and watched as he signaled he would attempt to see who they were. Dean shook his head and signaled back that it was too dangerous, it was escape and evade time. Sam raised his eyebrows, and Dean realized why—they knew their code had become more intricate, more advanced, but that code, escape and evade, that one made them both flash back. That command had been familiar. They knew that. Just like they knew these people. Just like they knew they had to get away, and soon.  
                And they got away, very quickly, very easily. Obviously the group hadn’t thought there was more than one. They couldn’t know they weren’t looking for fourteen year olds. When they returned to their motel, there was a stack of papers on the table. Neither needed to speak to know who they were from. The note on the top ( _These should be most illuminating. C._ ) helped too.  
                Dean got scared first. Scared because he was looking at complex genetic structures and _comprehending_  what he was seeing. He could tell which DNA and RNA strands were human, which were feline— _holy shit, we have feline DNA?_ —and where they altered what was  _Dean Winchester_  and added a little of  _John Doe_  or  _Van Gogh_  or fucking  _Shakespeare_. “…My IQ is genius level, dude. Look, it says so, right here.” Sam looked over, raised his eyebrows and let out a little laugh. “Oh no way you still out scored me—“  
                “155 to your 150!” But Sam stopped laughing barely seconds later, when his eyes scanned lower down the page. “Dean, they have a note on my file…I mean, aside from me ‘dying’. My DNA was ‘contaminated’?” His face darkened, and he pulled the papers away from Dean’s grabbing hands.  
                “If you’re not gonna tell me, then—let—me—see!”  
                “Our ‘original selves’  _walked_  into the military base, Dean. Do you understand that? We were  _dead_ , but we  _walked_  into the military base and apparently I piqued their interest because I used my  _powers_. Someone reanimated us!” Sam looked like he was supposed to be shocked. Dean wasn’t really that surprised. He knew they hadn’t died in 1997, and yet, that was when their bodies were “recruited”. He also knew that, ever since they handed Lucifer his ass back in ’09, he hadn’t seen a single damned demon or demonic omen. For him, that pretty much solidified that nothing bad had taken his body for a joy ride. True, he wasn’t keen on the idea of being taken for a joyride, but still, it could have been a lot worse.  
                What concerned him was the fact that his file, too, contained a note. “Hey, Sam…” Sam gave him a look that was creepy enough without the headlights catching his eyes…making them reflect like, well, like a black panther as they just found out was in what was known as their “cocktail”. “I think we’ve got some other issues.”  
                “What? I’m kinda a bit more upset someone took my body—“  
                “Old body.”  
                “My  _old_  body out for a joyride!” Dean nodded. He let him have that point. Then he calmly shoved the file in front of Sam’s face.  
                “Yeah? Well, there’s one of you. Me?” He laughed. “They kept cloning me. X5s 493 through 6.” Sam’s eyes widened rather comically, but Dean was still laughing, and not in a good way.   
                “Aw, dude, this…this…” Sam made a couple more noises before falling silent, staring at the designation that made up…hell, he didn’t even know what to call them. When Sam looked at him, and made a face like he just saw a puppy get kicked, Dean realized there was wetness on his cheeks, and his laughing had turned to tears. “Are you ok?”  
                “We just left them. They were are brothers, our sisters, our  _family_  and we just… _left_  them.” And he suddenly wasn’t just talking about the cloned hims that were back there, they certainly ranked as brothers by blood alone. He was talking about  _all_  off them, their entire unit. “We  _know_  what they did after X5-599 and his unit escaped! And so did we! They probably tortured—“  
                “Dean, what the hell are you talking about?” Dean stared, mouth hanging slightly open. He…remembered. It was like, a dream, a life he lived while asleep…which, in a way, he guessed, it was.  
                “Don’t you remember anything about the unit?” When Sam just shook his head, Dean grabbed his file, skimming through it. “Holy shit…it says here you failed Reindoctrination, you’re body, like couldn’t take it. Maybe it blanked out your memory of that too.” He stared at his brother, then at the paper, and frowned. “But then, how would you know all the advanced military stuff?”  
                “Reindoctrination is a procedure done to cleanse the mind of all…I guess, personal memories. References to self…things that interfered with their unit. It probably worked too well on me.” And then he smiled, and handed Dean a file that had fallen on the floor. “And I think the kids are ok. Apparently, we ‘died’ of seizures caused by that hormone problem—get this—June eighth, 2009. And, in all the kerfuffle, someone dropped the ball on where our bodies were, and whether the autopsies had been done.” Dean snorted, and Sam looked mildly alarmed.  
                “No, no, it’s just…You said ‘kerfuffle’.” Sam gave him that  _look_ , and continued on.  
                “They think we died and someone probably got yelled at for the missing paper work, but hey, it’s the government. The kids were fine…or as fine as they’re gonna be in that place.” Dean nodded, then shrugged.  
                “Better they’re back there, at least kind of safe, rather than out here, where, heck, no one’s safe.” Sam raised his eyebrows, but let it go, and they spent the remainder of the evening leafing through the rest of the papers, only speaking when they came across something really unexpected, such as the project was titled ‘Manticore’(“Fitting.” Sam had said. “Why? Because of the whole part human, part feline with the tail of a scorpion thing or because we  _are_  part human, part feline and, therefore, technically a Manticore, since only a few legends—localized ones—referenced other enhancements, such as wings, implying any—dude you should see your face! You look like you just got hit by a bus! I’m bullshitting you!...I think.” Said Dean) Or that Dean apparently had been enhanced for stealth (“Funny…I don’t feel particularly stealthy.”) Or that Sam had been given extra synapses in his brain to facilitate memory even more than the standard X5 (“Are you sure they didn’t do that to you before? I mean, you were always a walking Encyclopedia of Weirdness.”) Or that, apparently there were moments when Sam was faster than Dean, and managed to actually gag him before Dean realized the fight was on.  
                A destroyed motel room later—and Dean was  _really_  regretting the fact they used their real names on the agreement—they were cleaning up papers and chuckling to themselves.  
  
 **MINNESOTA  
2012**  
  
                They discovered they were immune to biochemical agents and radiation when they inadvertently tracked a  _very_  nasty vengeful spirit into its Military Lab grave. Apparently, when the Pulse hit, the lab had been working on a  _nasty_  little biochemical bug to send over to permanently end the war in the Middle East, and apparently they also housed bio-hazardous materials, including radiation causing radium and uranium for use in this endeavor. And apparently, they lost containment. And in all the panic and screaming, someone got trampled, and was left in the building, dying a slow, painful death from internal bleeding, biochemical agents and radiation poisoning. It was kind of a draw on which one actually killed him, but the corpse burned florescent purple, which was definitely unusual but kinda cool (and Dean really wanted to roast marshmallows, but Sam had forgotten them. Again.).   
                They were caught on their way out, by a nosey neighbor that squatted in the abandoned housing near the sectioned off area, who called the local militia, who called the CDC…and Sam and Dean realized that there was definitely one thing that could not be done: They could not get caught. If just going into that building had caused this much trouble, what they had been exposed to was serious shit. And they were immune. Not only did it freak them both out, but they would never make it out of a lab alive…Or worse…life in cages…  
                Escaping made them show what they were. Manticore was on their tail the minute the news showed up. They didn’t have names, no one had gotten close enough, and they knew they moved too fast to have their faces be seen. They knew because they had tested it. Just in case. They picked up the car, and got it over to Bobby’s by all luck. The drive across the state line seemed to take forever.  
                “We gotta go deep, man.” Sam said, looking him straight in the eye. Dean frowned, but set his jaw, and nodded.  
                “But we stick together. And we keep an eye out for…”  
                “The others.” They both nodded.  
                When Bobby woke up the next day, he wasn’t expecting to see half of his junk yard moved around. That was definitely a wakeup call and a half. He had just thrown on his slippers, and gotten a shirt on when he made it onto the porch, and saw the Impala. More importantly, saw the empty Impala, with an envelope under the windshield wiper, looking forlorn and lost without her boys.  
                Her boys who apparently rearranged half the junk yard to hide her from passing view, rather than just tarp her up. Bobby had to sigh. Those boys. The letter was simple. It read: _Bobby, As much as it pains us to have to do this, we gotta go into hiding for a while. Don’t come looking. Don’t ask any more. If you need to know anything, call Cas. I’m sure you can figure out a way to get in touch with him. Don’t trust the government. **They. Did. This.** Don’t look for us. Don’t go poking your nose around. Please, Bobby, we don’t know how high this goes. We got this. _


	3. Chapter 3

**MEXICO  
2014**  
  
 _It hurt. That harsh light, like Lasik but worse, burning into his right eye. “What is your designation?”  
                “Dean!” he yelped, because he was not going back, not doing that over again. The pain increased. He fought against the machine holding his eyes open, fought not to see the words flashing on the screen in front of him, words like ‘snake’, ‘traitor’, ‘betrayer’, ‘rat’ with images of his friends—his brothers and sisters—Soldiers AWOL.  
                “What is your designation?”  
                “…112…” he gasped, because his voice wasn’t working right. It still wasn’t good enough. The pain increased. He yelled, how could they do that to an eleven year old? Couldn’t they see he was starting to convulse--_  
                “Dean! Wake up!”  
                “X5-112! X5-112!” He yelped, his voice harsh because he was dehydrated, his body shaking because, like an idiot, he had forgotten is Tryptophan the night before. And Dean remembered where he was. In a shitty apartment just below the US border into Mexico. They didn’t even have indoor plumbing. But they had electricity, and internet. And the streets weren’t covered in the Police Hover Drones that had recently rolled out, so they figured it was a plus. Except on days that Dean woke up, remembering some form of Manticore treatment, and Sam felt like they were back to when Dean first came back from Hell—it wasn’t something they truly shared, because Sam remembered, but he couldn’t  _remember_ , at least, nothing that was conscious.  
                “Your name is Dean Winchester.” Sam said, grabbing both of Dean’s shoulders and forcing him to look up at his face. After a moment, recognition cleared Dean’s eyes, and he nodded, swallowing hard against an already dry throat. “Dude, why do you keep yelling those…numbers out? It’s…”  
                “It’s what they called us.”  
                “I know that. I was going to say it’s creepy. I want to know  _why_  you’re calling out your designation like it’s a lifeline when you have nightmares, dude, because I’m starting to freak out here.”  
                And Dean didn’t want to answer, but he knew he owed his brother as much. “The…Reindoctrination.” He sighed. “Apparently, some of our unit mates had dubbed me ‘Dean’…they were ‘discouraging the use of personalized names’.” Sam gave a shudder and stood. Dean knew he was thankful that he didn’t remember.  
                Twenty minutes later (plus three glasses of milk, four pills of Tryptophan and two VERY cold showers) the boys were ready to go. Both Dean and Sam had gone through great lengths to hide their barcodes too, and after discovering that lasering was only temporary (and hurt far more than either of them would like to admit), Sam grew his hair, and easily covered the mark. Dean found himself buying stock in foundation and tattoo cover—there was nothing that would ever convince him to grow his hair and be all girly like Sam—and keeping his jackets on despite the South of the Border warmth they were experiencing. In this case, it served them well, especially since they would be looking for more work today. Keeping in touch with many hunters, they got a lot of news on the black market channels, including how much genetically engineered super soldiers went for. Luckily, only three other people knew exactly  _what_  they were, and none of those three would ever betray them.  
                “Anything?” Dean asked, mouth full of eggs and tortilla. Once he got his tryptophan, he was feeling much better, and pretty much back to his annoying self. Which Sam gave him the appropriate ‘I’m Annoyed’ look for.  
                “You do know I’m translating as I go, right? And that Spanish wasn’t one of my pre-assigned languages.” Dean laughed, and grabbed the paper, leaving grease stains on the newsprint.  
                “Ah, but it was one of mine.” Between the two of them, they spoke four languages fluently—not counting Latin, which Sam had been fluent in previously, and Dean had miraculously picked up now that his brain was supercharged—Spanish and French were Dean’s specialties, while Sam had been given Russian and Chinese…which made Dean think that his little brother was originally intended to be an assassin in one of those countries, and  _that_  thought froze his blood a little.  
                “ _Policia! Policia!_ ” Sam and Dean both looked around, but Sam caught sight of the caller first: he was just behind them and staring at Dean’s back like he had seen a ghost. Sam stared at Dean.  
                Dean put his hand on the back of his neck. His fingers came away clean. “Aw shit…” By the time the police got there, all that was at their table was a slightly used newspaper, a half-eaten breakfast burrito and two cooling cups of coffee.  
  
 **WYOMING**  
2014

_X5-392 (one of the ’09 escapees) was recaptured in Wolf Point, Montana._  
 _POSSIBLE sighting of X5 in Mexico._  
 _UPDATE: Sighting a false lead. Suspect was described as mid-twenties._  

  
**SOUTH DAKOTA**  
2014  
  
                The last thing Bobby expected when he answered the door was to see the Winchester boys. However, that didn’t stop him from giving them both the biggest hug he could before insisting they took a shot of holy water.  
                The last thing Dean expected when he saw Bobby was to see how old he was getting. There wasn’t grey around the cap anymore, the hair had gone white. It shouldn’t have surprised him, Bobby was going on sixty four, but it was…wrong. Like when Dad died. When they saw that Bobby had a respirator and his own personal air tank, Sam gave Dean ‘the look’, and Dean nodded.  
                Bobby introduced them around town as Dean and Sam, his nephews. They stayed there, and got normal jobs, went out on hunts every time they caught wind (usually through Ellen, sometimes through Jo, who had gotten married of all things), and found themselves with a pretty normal life.

**WYOMING**  
2017

_X5R-102, 105, 453, 472, 494, 496, 511, 600, 657, 735, 798 completed specialized field, combat and covert training and are certified for field deployment. (X5R-206 and X5R-211 were damaged during training exercises and subsequently euthanized.)_   
_X5R-105 recalled from active mission due to disobedience. Reassigned to Psy-Ops for Reindoctrination._   
_X5R-494 returned to platoon for further discipline and training._

  
**SOUTH DAKOTA  
2017**  
  
                “—which is why it so important that we all stick together, that we carry on…” Dean paused, his voice cracking, and he hastily wiped a stray tear from his eye before glaring down at the paper in front of him, determined not to look at the people gathered … _his_ memory. “Bobby Singer was a great man.” He pretended his voice didn’t break. “He was a second father to me. To my brother. He was a great hunter, and…” Dean caught sight of Ellen, holding Jo, who was sobbing into her shoulder, still pushing the baby carrier with her foot to keep her son rocked to sleep. She had just lost her husband to one of the many sicknesses running rampant in a world where medications were just as likely to be fake as real. Dean couldn’t continue.  
                “Thank you all for coming.” Sam said, stepping beside his brother, and putting a hand on his shoulder. They lit the funeral pyre not long after that. It’s not like anyone could afford a coffin now a days anyway.  
  
 **WYOMING**  
2018

_X5R-494 has excelled at solo missions. Placed in Seattle facility for deep cover training._   
_X5R-105 was found dead in her bunk this morning. Cause of death: Epileptic seizure._   
_EDIT: Security Camera caught X5R-105 in hallway approximately 02:45, should be noted 15 minutes after death. No trace of X5R-105 was found aside from the unit in the morgue. Mechanic malfunction suspected._

  
**WOODS BETWEEN WYOMING AND SOUTH DAKOTA  
2018**  
  
                She ran. And she  _ran_. She wouldn’t go back, not after she had remembered, not after all this time…She reached into the deepest recesses of her mind, reaching past all the Indoctrinations and Simplifications they had forced on her to the quiet part of her brain she had purposely switched off, the part that held  _her_  and not their ‘good little unit’. It’s not like she didn’t have time to. She had been aware of what had happened to her from the moment she had taken her first breath. She knew she had made a mistake when they had dragged her baby body in for testing because she hadn’t cried, she had just stared. So she adapted. She had waited twenty years, but now she had the opportunity.  
                With a thought, she  _pushed_ , and suddenly, the woods were different.   
                Because they weren’t woods anymore.  
  
 **SOUTH DAKOTA**  
2018  
  
                Sam knew something was up first. It tasted like…ozone. And brought back memories of shaking and yelling, of feeling weak and helpless, but gradually fighting and getting better. It was a taste he had tasted before, even if he hadn’t been able to properly filter it. So, he pushed away from the desk, where he was going through the paper work on Singer Salvage getting ready for tax season (since some things never changed), and wandered into the living-room-turned-work-shop, where Dean was currently elbow deep in gun oil and rags. “There’s something here.”  
                “Beethoven didn’t bark, dude.” And the huge mastiff indeed hadn’t, picking up his massive head and casually sniffing the air before putting his head back down and drooling all over the carpet. He had taken to laying at Dean’s feet almost constantly. Both boys figured he still missed Bobby.  
                “I’ve smelled—“ A clatter. And by the sound, it was very deliberate. They spun towards the door—of course  _now_  Beethoven started to bark—and there was—“No way.” And they had her surrounded in the way only an X5 unit could move. What they weren’t expecting was that, she could move just as fast.  
                “Not so fast, boys.” Dean stared. It was her. My god, it was her, it was Keegan, except her skin was mocha instead of pale, her hair black instead of that strange brown, and her voice…that flat, Midwestern non-accent instead of her London one.  
                “Ok, I think now we’ve officially passed into the realm of science fiction.” Sam gave him yet another look “Dude, its Keegan!”  
                “She’s an X series, Dean. Just because they used her DNA doesn’t make her, you know, her.”  
                “If you actually paid attention when Castiel and I explained what I was, maybe this would go a lot smoother.” She made to move—probably to sit on hindsight—but Sam interpreted it as an aggressive move, and darted in. The fight was quick, and fast. And Keegan wiped the floor with him, before pinning him to the wall from across the room. She then stomped to where Dean had been cleaning their guns—Dean made a motion of protest, but even he wouldn’t be fast enough to get to the guns before she did—and grabbed the container of holy water that was nestled among the cleaning supplies and took a swig. There was no smoke, no screaming. Dean and Sam both let out a “Huh.” And then Sam felt the telekinetic hold on him loosen, and lightly landed on his feet. “Trust me now?”  
                “Not really.” Dean said, which, despite his earlier comments, was true. She did look like Keegan, and she wasn’t a demon…but that didn’t mean she wasn’t one of those Manticore people…more so then she already was.  
                “The minute they took my DNA and made me, the reincarnation process started over again. I’m the same Keegan I’ve been since Shakespeare threw me out of his troupe for being a woman who dared set foot on his stage.” She gave them both a hard look. “And I’m shocked that you two don’t remember me from your Unit at Manticore. X5R-105, enhanced for mental capacity for possible psychic tendencies based on Primary Specimen DNA. AKA, I screwed up, teleported to the wrong location in time, and got caught. Did we win? I’m assuming yes, since there are still humans around, and you guys are  _reeking_  of angel.”  
                Dean had a flash—a young girl whose eyes he could never truly guess the color, who watched them a little too closely, who seemed to know them—but it was blurred. That was nine years ago. Granted, the fully— _that_ was even debatable—grown Keegan he had met was also nine years ago, and now his head was starting to hurt. But he knew it was her. Sam seemed to give her that point to.  
                “Are you going to go back to Avalon?” Sam asked. Dean assumed it was something they had talked about during one of Sam’s withdraw fits, as far as he knew, Avalon was stuck in Arthurian legend. He was shocked, though, when Keegan shook her head.  
                “Can’t. I’m kinda…” She shrugged. “I could go last incarnation. It was simple …now… I’m not human with a Faerie soul, none of the allergies. I have almost none of my abilities… Can’t time travel which sucks, I tried—and I…” She looked down, and then away. “…I can’t find the door.”  
                Dean looked at Sam, and Sam sighed. “Fae can find the door to Avalon, their realm which goes by a million names, so don’t get me started, Dean, just by willing themselves to one. If Keegan can’t find it…”  
                “She’s not Fae?”  
                “Right in one.” And Keegan looked weak. “Everything I’ve ever known…every _one_ …I’m cut off from them.” And in one moment, she went from in charge to broken, and it was all Sam could do to catch her before she crumpled to the floor, crying.  
                “Hey, hey, hey, it’s ok. It’s ok.” He said, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her back, trying to get her to calm. After a moment’s hesitation, Dean came over and joined the hug, whispering “We’re your family too. We’re here for you. Manticore did this, and we’ll make sure they pay. Shh, we’re here.” It wasn’t long before they introduced her as their cousin, Keegan Winchester. She was adapt enough at falsifying paperwork to make it look legal too.  
                A month later, they had another member join their growing family, when Ellen showed up with a distraught Jo in tow—her missing son was immediately apparent—and asked if they could stay with them for a while. Medical bills had drained the last of the Harvelle’s resources in a last ditch attempt to save Jo’s son—William Anthony—from a strain of smallpox that had been released by the Pulse. Both women were at wits end.  
                They settled into a routine: Ellen was like their mom. She handled all of the bills, paperwork, and generally kept Singer Salvage from going Tits Up. She also handled the opening of a tavern of their own, set just outside the salvage yard, barely a yard from the house if they needed help, where Keegan and Jo worked most days as bartenders and waitresses, keeping prices cheap, and people generally happy. Sam alternately worked the tavern: now dubbed H.S.W. Family Tavern, nicknamed the Roadhouse 2.0 and the salvage yard. Dean worked as a mechanic. Both of them went off hunting whenever they caught a tip through the Roadhouse, occasionally dragging Keegan or Jo along for the heck of it.  
                The blissfully full home and semblance of normality was shattered though.

**WYOMING**  
2019

_Reports are coming in from across the country about ritualistic murders. Victims have barcodes on the back of their necks, designation: 331845799493. All of their teeth have been surgically removed. Barcode matches X5-493, escaped 2009, though DNA does not match.  
                PRIORITY: This rogue unit be found and taken in for testing._

  
**SOUTH DAKOTA**  
2020  
  
                “Boys!”

                There was nothing that got any of ‘her’ kids out of bed faster than the tone she used with them now. Low and behold, there were three of them standing at attention less than a minute later, Jo still struggling to disentangle herself from her sheets. Ellen raised her eyebrows at Keegan, who realized she was saluting, and the girl shrugged, and dropped into a chair, the boys already moving to do so. “I love how you don’t take into consideration that most of the people in this house are female.”  
                “Ah, but we’re the important ones.” Dean shot back, grabbing a bagel from the plate Ellen had left on the table. Ellen wasn’t surprised when a packet of jelly went sailing towards Dean’s head, which he ducked a faction of a second before it collided. “Too slow!”  
                “Guys, I got a headache.” Sam whined, putting his head down on the table and covering it with his arms. Ellen sighed, and passed over a bottle of Tryptophan as well as some aspirin before settling herself down at the table as well. Jo moodily stomped in and went straight for the coffee.  
                Ellen made sure everyone was sitting down at the table before passing the newspaper to her two ‘eldest’. “There’s a picture of a young man suspected of the string of unusual murders we were attributing to some sort of ritual.” She said. “And my friend with Eyes Only’s company said that it  _was_  ritualistic…the kid was worshiping The Blue Lady, our Virgin Mary, and got all confused. Rumor has it he was an X5 who escaped—“  
                “X5-493.” Sam and Dean chorused. Sam looked at Dean. Dean refused to look anywhere but at the eerily similar yet younger version of him pictured on the newsprint…obviously dead.  
                “One of the copies made of Dean escaped in ’09. 494 is listed as going through Reindoctrination with us, so he must be 493.” Sam looked at Dean, then looked at the picture again. “He looks  _like_  you…but it’s not you.”  
                At that point, Keegan decided it was her turn and she grabbed the newsprint away, leaving Dean staring at the table. After a moment, she declared “Well, of course he’s not going to look  _exactly_  like Dean…they manipulated 493 more. Changed his hair color, eye color too, I mean, they’re eerily close, but not the same. Still…” She cocked her head to the side. “It’s kinda like looking at the Olsen twins. I bet 494 is identical to 493 though. They were exact copies.”  
                “He’ll still get singled out in town. He looks like the kid’s older brother at least…most people are just gonna think it’s him.” Jo pointed out. Apparently the coffee (which she didn’t realize they had been spiking with antidepressants for the past two years) had perked her up enough to join the conversation.   
                “I don’t wanna run anymore.” He sounded so young…he sounded like the age his body actually was. Sam slapped him on the shoulder. Keegan gave him a brief hug. Even Jo got up to give him a half-hearted hug around the middle.  
                Three days later, the three X5 enhanced hunters left Singer Salvage and the Roadhouse 2.0 in a 1967 Impala, who purred with appreciation at finally being used for what she did best: road trips. Another two days, and Ellen received an envelope in the mail, containing an alarming amount of money, and Sam’s scribble  _Since we’re not around to help out. Miss you. Give Jo our love._  
                Months later, Ellen wasn’t surprised when she received another envelope, with a little less money, but a more worried note, this time in Keegan’s neater handwriting: _Mom & Jo, Hope you’re all well. Country’s more of a shit hole then we thought. We’re heading for Canada. Did you see the Veteran’s Hospital the burned down? Don’t believe it. Firstly, I highly doubt the S1W did it. Secondly, I  **know**  it wasn’t a hospital. It was  **the place**. They’re looking for us, Mom. Get out.  **Now.**. Call in a favor from your friend with all those connections. New lives for you and Jo. And above all,  **Do Not Trust The Government**.  
_                 There were several things Ellen  _knew_. The first one was that her kids knew a hell of a lot more then they put in the letter. The second was that they were probably heading the farthest from Canada as they could. Thirdly, she knew they were probably still hunting, which is what most likely got them compromised in the first place. That night, she got her and Jo out of there. As they hit the main road, they heard an explosion, and turned just in time to see Singer Salvage and H.S.W. Family Tavern go up in flames. At least this time it wasn’t a demon. “Jo, honey, how do you feel about Mexico?”

**LOCATION UNKNOWN**  
STOP TIME  
  
                “Sir! We have a report!”  
                “Yes?”  
                “Apparently, the fall of Lucifer did not deter the plans of those…”  
                “They are human, Castiel, even if they are all doomed to Hell for their crimes.”  
                “They are selectively breeding themselves…and they don’t consider themselves human, so why should we?” A pause. “That was out of line.”  
                “It was, but we can forgive it. Do not worry so. There is a reason we made sure the Fae and the Winchesters survived.”  
                A nod. Understanding. “Of course.” 

**SOUTH CAROLINA  
2020**  
  
                “I’m not coming out so don’t bother to keep knocking!”   
                Sam raised his eyebrows and looked at Dean who just shrugged. “Keegan, you’re kinda hogging the bathroom!”  
                “And did you know you still go all British when you’re angry?” Dean added, grinning.  
                “I’m NOT ANGRY!” Sam and Dean both took a step away from the door, staring at it with mingled expressions of amusement and curiosity.  
                “Keegan,” Dean warned, “I’m gonna kick down the door in a second—“ which proved a moot point because Keegan ripped open the door—literally ripped the door off its hinges—and stalked into the room, bristling as she passed the boys. “Whoa, Keegan…” Dean reached out to her, and nearly got jumped. Sam grabbed Keegan, putting her in a sleeper hold, the only one she hadn’t yet managed to wriggle free from (for some reason, she seemed to be flexible in ways that they just couldn’t manage).   
                Therefore, it was Sam who got a nose-full of her scent, and dropped her jumping back. “Damnit!”  
                “What?” Dean demanded, now weary of his two partners. “Ok, I know they cut off the water but she can’t sme—“  
                “Heat, Dean!” And Dean jumped back too, stepping as far back from Keegan as he could.  
                “Aw shit. Sorry, Kee.” She glared at him, then she licked her lips, startled herself, and glared again.  
                “It sucks.” And she went to sit on her cot, crossing her arms and glaring at the wall. Sam and Dean shared a look. “You guys can leave me. Sam, put up a spell, make sure I don’t go anywhere, and I’ll just…I dunno, sleep or work on hacking the internet again.”  
                “We could—“  
                “NO!” Came from both Sam and Keegan, who looked at Dean like he had made the most disgusting comment ever. Which, perhaps he had. “We have no idea what would happen, and no offense, but you’ve been acting as my family…though you are…” She froze, and looked horrified with herself.  
                Sam looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. “At least you were a late bloomer.”  
                “Fae-ness held it back, I guess. I’m going back to bed.” And with that, she flopped over and curled into a ball.  
                “Don’t you only sleep 4 hours, like us?”  
                “Dean, keep talking and I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”  
                “Fair enough.” He said, smirking.  
                He let Sam cast the spell to make sure she didn’t leave the room. He also made sure he didn’t pick up any of the girls eyeing him that night. It wasn’t fair that Keegan got out of control hormones and he got to go screw. When they returned that night, Keegan had dismantled and cleaned every weapon that could be dismantled and cleaned, as well as cleaned the entire motel room, and bathroom. The boys still kept their distance.  
                After Keegan had finally drifted off to sleep, Sam had muttered to Dean, “There was a time when you would have ‘offered’ no matter what.”  
                Dean just looked at her then at Sam and gave him a rare, soft smile. “She’s family, Sam. Hot, yes. But she’s all we got. It gets worse though, and I’m leaving my options open, cause we can’t keep locking ourselves down every couple of months so she doesn’t jump on the nearest good breeding partner.” He was ever so thankful that, between the spells and Keegan’s unusually level head, it seemed to be under control.  
  
 **SOUTH AMERICA**  
2020  
  
                “Hey, mom! I got the broadcast!” Jo called from the living room. Ellen ran in, just in time to catch the openings of the latest ‘Eyes Only’ broadcast. “Signal’s a bitch to get way down here.” Jo complained, moving to stand next to her mother.  
 _It was not a Veteran’s Hospital that burned down. S1W did not cause the fire…_  
                “I hope they’re doing ok.” Ellen said, sitting down and staring at the tv with worried eyes. Jo looked at her mom before turning her eyes back to the screen.  
                “I’m just hoping they’re staying out of trouble… ‘Mutants’ are the latest tabloid craze.”

**NEW MEXICO**  
DECEMBER 2020  
  
                “Turn on the news!” Keegan wasn’t even halfway through the door before she called that out, and Dean snapped up the remote and switched to the nearest news station.  
                “ _…Authorities are still trying to find who sent the apparent assassin. Again, today we are in morning for Pope Leo XVI, who was assassinated this morning—_ ”  
                “It was an X5. The operative killed himself rather than be taken alive. All genetic samples have been reported ‘missing’ by the Italian government.”  
                Dean threw a hand over his face, while Sam muttered some curses under his breath. “Great. Just after that news story on ‘transgenics’ too.”   
                “We’ve gotta move. Assume we’ve been compromised.” Keegan was already throwing her gear into her bag, shrugging her leather jacket on. Dean was only a second behind her. Sam was the last to move.  
                “You know…I kinda hate this almost as much as the whole Demon Blood thing.”  
                “At least this time you’re not by yourself, Sammy.” Dean smiled at him, before tossing him the Desert Eagle and then grabbing a knife from the cleaning pile and examining it. “Hey, Kee? Head’s up.” And threw it at her. She caught it, sticking out her tongue, and sheathed it, throwing it into her bag.

                Sam still wasn’t packed. “Sammy?” She asked, nudging him a little with her shoulder. He looked up, like he had been startled out of his thoughts, and then smiled.  
                “I’m good. I’m good, let’s go.” They were out in less than ten minutes.  
  
 **LOCATION UNKNOWN**  
JANUARY 2021

                “Can we  _please_  pull over? I really gotta take a piss!”  
                “Dean, stop being such a cry baby. And get your prostrate checked.”  
                “Keegan, we’ve been driving for six hours!” He paused, leaning over so he wouldn’t wake up Sam who was sprawled out on the backseat. “I  _let_  you drive my  _baby_  for  _six hours_!”  
                “I’m well aware, Dean. Now move back to where you were.”  
                “Keegan—“  
                “Don’t-you-dare-say-another-fucking-word-Dean-cause-I-will-jump-you.” She bit out, eyes not leaving the road. Dean sat back. He then slid as close to the door as he could.  
                “You know, I think this is worse than PMS.”  
                “I will shoot you.”  
                “SAM! Deal with your sister!” Which caused Sam to comically sputter upwards, looking groggy, but Dean knew better. “She’s gonna kill me!”  
                “Yeah? I’ve been tempted too.” Sam said. He glanced at Keegan, who gave him a cursory glance in the rearview mirror before averting her eyes back to the road. “Keely, you know your eyes glow when you’re in heat, right?” That nearly sent them into a ditch, and Dean was cursing Sam from the moment he said that till the moment Keegan got out of the car and stormed off into the desert on the side of the road.  
                However, it did work out in his favor. After making sure his Baby was ok (he didn’t  _really_ doubt Keegan’s driving skills, she had been trained in combat driving, and several forms of aircraft but it was fun to rib her) he let out a long sigh and walked in a quick fashion in the opposite direction Keegan had gone off in. Hey, he got his pee break.  
                However, by the time he got back to the car, he knew something else was wrong. “Sam?” Dean threw open the rear door and grabbed his brother, bodily heaving him out onto the side of the road, holding him as he seized in what had to be the worst seizure Dean had ever witnessed since they had escaped Manticore. “Keegan! I need you!”  
                He knew she heard him. He wasn’t surprised when she appeared next to them, using her abilities rather than her X5 speed. “He’s…this isn’t a seizure!” She exclaimed, and moved to cradle his head. The shaking quieted.  
                When Sam opened his eyes, he knew his brother and sister were concerned. He was too. “There’s a comet coming. It’s being summoned by a bunch of demon worshiping people in some cult thing. We’ve gotta stop it. We gotta go to Seattle.”  
                Keegan and Dean looked at each other. “Figures the whole good versus evil thing wasn’t done yet.” Dean muttered, helping Sam back into the car. Keegan drove the entire way. Dean didn’t even complain.


	4. Chapter 4

**JUST OUTSIDE SEATTLE**  
2021  
  
                “I really don’t like this.” Dean announced, sighing. Sam rolled his eyes. Keegan was communing with  _nature_. Or, trying to, which was why the three of them were sitting in a tree, three hundred yards from the perimeter fence. Dean sighed again, hoping to make a point, but Keegan was ignoring him. “Any. Luck. Yet.” He over-enunciated, leaning closer to her.   
                She turned and actually  _growled_  at him. “No! But it’s not like I could concentrate with you yapping at me!” She snapped before turning to face the tree again, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing with all of her might. Dean and Sam both turned their heads upwards when the leaves started to shift, as if an unseen, unfelt wind was passing—  
                And just as quickly, Dean was leaping down to grab Keegan before she fell off the branch, her face pale, her nose bleeding. Sam was right behind him, then below him, holding his arms out to bring her down lightly. They passed her down as gently as they could, before Dean carried her back to the car. “Dean, what did she do?” Sam asked, sliding into the backseat. He held out his arms to help leverage her in. Dean passed her in, knocking his head in the process.  
                “She was trying that damned nature thing she said she could do. She was trying to talk to the tree, or see through its roots or some Faerie trick!”  
                “…not…Faerie…” They snapped their attention to her, but Keegan hadn’t opened her eyes; she was mumbling.  
                An hour later, they were camped out at the cabin they had been using as their hideout while surveying Seattle. Keegan was awake, barely, and guzzling down milk like mad.  
                “What happened?” Dean demanded, pulling her fourth glass out of reach before she could take it. Keegan glared up at him, and reached for it anyway, and he pulled it further away, ignoring Sam’s reproachful ‘Dean’ from behind him. “What. Happened.”  
                “Obviously. Nothing.” She bit back, and started to stand to reach for the glass. Dean shoved her back down.

                “Dean! What the fuck—“  
                “Shut up, Sam.” Sam fell silent. Dean couldn’t know what he looked like then, but something made his brother back off, and made Keegan stare up at him with something akin to fear in her eyes. “One more time, Keegan—“  
                “Nothing happened!” He stared. She stared back. She looked away first. “I can’t do it.”  
                “Do what.” She looked at him, something halfway to pleading in her eyes. “Do  _what_ , 105?” He knew what it took to get her to talk. He knew she would be pissed as hell—Sam had probably hated him a hundred times over when Dean pushed his buttons—but he had to know.  _She_  had to know.  
                “I can’t use any of my abilities born through my affiliation with nature.  _Sir._ ” She added, tears streaking her face, but eyes hardening.  
                Dean leaned closer, “Why.”  
                “It doesn’t matter, Dean!” Sam was waved off.  
                “Because I’m not  _natural_  anymore. You happy?” Dean nodded, and handed her the glass of milk. But, before she could take a swallow, he grabbed her wrist, halting her. Keegan glowered at him.  
                “You  _ever_  nearly kill yourself like that again and you better damn well finish the job because I  _will_  kill you if I catch you. And I will catch you. You’re family, Keegan, and I don’t like losing my family.” He glanced at Sam, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “I dragged his ass back from the dead. It’s a Winchester thing.” Keegan nodded, offering a weak smile of her own, before eagerly drinking the milk. Sam dropped some extra rations of Tryptophan on the nightstand next to her, before grabbing Dean’s shoulder.  
                “Can I speak to you  _outside_?”  
                As they made it out the front door, Dean put up his hands saying, “I know, I know, I was harsh—“  
                “Harsh?” Sam snorted. “Dean, you sounded like Dad. No, you sounded worse than Dad.” Dean opened his mouth to speak, to deny it, anything…  
                But he just shook his head, and looked Sam square in the eye. “Dad could never have trained us enough to take on the people we’re tangling with now, Sam. Be glad you don’t remember what it was like back at Manticore because that, in there?” He pointed back in the room, back towards Keegan, “That was  _easy_. That was so that I don’t have to wake up one morning and find her  _dead_  because she broke her brain trying to do something she  _can’t_! We need to know our limits, Sam! We’re not invincible! Fuck, we’re not even the top of the food chain!” Why couldn’t he see that Dean just needed them to _know_  so that they could fight? So that they could survive?  
                And, in their usual way, Sam suddenly shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “You could be nicer, Jerk.”  
                “Ah, shut up…” Dean caught his eye before grinning widely. “Bitch.”  
                “…And you claim to never have chick flick moments…” They turned their heads to see Keegan leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed and a smile on. “You guys are bigger girls then me.”  
                “Shut it, pussy-cat.” Dean said, making sure to ruffle it as much as he could as he passed her. She protested weakly—still drained from her miss-dial with mother earth—but flattened her hair in that ‘Oh Dean’ sort of way. Sam put a hand on her shoulder.  
                “You sure—“  
                “I’m fine.” She gave him a real smile, and Sam returned it, giving her a tight hug before bowing her inside.  
                They had to find another way to recon the terrain before engaging the perimeter.They had to get in that city.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
2021  
  
 _2 more of the transgenics have been captured and eliminated. Sterilization moving ahead slower than planned. Capture of X5-452—dead or alive—is still high priority._

  
  
**SEATTLE  
SECTION 5  
FEBRUARY 2021**  
  
“              Dean, have you seen my laptop?” Dean sighed, and let his chin hit his chest, dropping the soft cover novel he had been attempting to  _finally_  finish. He was seriously considering ignoring Sam-- _Heh, could always say I didn’t hear him._ \--when his afore mentioned brother stuck his head around the corner, repeating “Dean?”  
 _Wouldn’t’ve worked anyway…_  “Didja ask Keegan?” He was so not in the mood for this. Four days after Keegan knocked herself out, they had finally gathered enough intel to make a decent attempt at getting inside the city. It turned out to be easier than they thought, which made Dean feel like an idiot. However, the massive amounts of  _nothing_  that their research into this comet-summoning-demon-worshipping-cult-thing had brought them was making him feel like  _more_  of an idiot, if that was possible. And Keegan was spending massive amounts of time by herself, doing god-knows-what, and certainly not  _helping_  no, because that would be too easy. He was kind of happy Sam couldn’t find his laptop. Means he wouldn’t have to spend hours trying to recall basic hacking 101 from nearly twelve years ago to attempt to find _more_  irrelevant data. They didn’t even have a starting point.  
                “I don’t know where Keegan is.” Well that certainly put a damper on things.  
                “What do you  _mean_ , ‘I don’t know where she is’? This apartment is smaller than most motels we stayed in, and she hasn’t been past me all day.” He dropped the book, starting to get a little nervous.  
                “Her room, maybe?”  
                “Oh, wow, genius.” And with that, Dean pushed passed Sam to find Keegan. What he wasn’t expecting was to find her on the ground, in a full on seizure on the floor of her sectioned off room.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
2021  


_Reports of information relating to the Breeding Cult has been requested by outside sources. Sending a team to investigate.  
                UPDATE: No further information available. Conclusion: Accessed by proxy of related subject matter; i.e. thesis on Cults. No security risk assumed._

  
**SEATTLE  
SECTION 5  
MARCH 2021**  
  
                “Thanks for the update, Jo. You keep Mama Ellen and yourself safe, ya here?” Sam smiled, obviously Jo was telling him she would, and he hesitantly hung up the phone. Dean continued to glare moodily at the grainy TV screen. “That was Jo—“  
                “Obviously.” Sam glared at him.  
                “—and she says that Ellen just got in touch with her contact at the Eyes Only contingent. He said he’d get us in touch with Eyes Only, to talk about getting more information on the cult.” Dean let out a long sigh, and flicked the TV off using the remote.  
                “And just what makes you think this ‘Eyes Only’ has information on something supernatural? Government conspiracies, I get. But damnit, Sam, not everyone in the world is a god-damned hunter.” He shook his head, standing. “No, I don’t want anyone else involved. We’re gonna do this the old fashioned way.”  
                Well, that certainly got Sam’s attention. “The ‘Old fashioned’ Way? And which way is that, Dean?”  
                “Pull a page from ole’ Bela Talbot’s book. Spirit Board.” Sam just stared at him, gawking. “Come on, Sam, they’re sure to know where a big bad cult is hiding, especially if they’re killing people constantly. The spirits of the people they killed should be very in tune with their location.”  
                “And what if it backfires? What if the spirits react to us differently because we’re not _completely human_  anymore? You know, like Keegan?” He jerked his thumb towards the room where Keegan was sleeping. Dean’s face hardened. “Dude, let that go. She came back.”  
                “She still didn’t tell me where she went.”  
                “You do realize she’s not your responsibility right?” Sam barely ducked the left hook that came flying at him—sloppy and obviously anger-fueled—and had to use his super speed to dodge behind Dean. “Dean, calm down! Talking board sounds good!”  
                “Why’s everyone yelling?” They both spun, and saw Keegan standing in the doorway, looking very much the little sister in a pair of Dean’s boxer shorts and one of Sam’s old Stanford t-shirts. She looked between the two of them, and flinched away from the hard look in Dean’s eyes a little. “O…kay…”  
                “We’re going to use a spirit board to talk to the ghosts of people the cult murdered…try to get some more information.” Sam said, looking anxiously between the two. Keegan shrugged.  
                “I could try—“  
                “If it has  _anything_  to do with your Faerie powers, then no.” She gave Dean an exasperated look.  
                “I was  _going_  to say I could try casting runes, or laying out Tarot cards…either way, I’m still more intuitive then either of you two.”   
                Dean gave her a reluctant nod. “No more funny stuff.”  
                “I heard you last night.”  
                “And I meant it.” He seemed to abruptly shift gears though, peering at her closely. “Where did you end up running off too?”  
                “A bar.”  
                Dean’s eyes widened comically, and luckily Sam recognized the warnings of a Dean-tantrum. “You-whe-where?”  
                “Hey, Keegan, wanna help—“  
                “Where did you go?” Dean demanded.  
                “A bar.” She gave him a defiant look. “And don’t freak out. I met another X5 there. It’s safe.”   
                Dean was seething. More than that, he was growling. “Oh, ok, that makes it alright. Like hell it does!” But the look she was giving him… Dean knew she was just waiting to give him the  _best_  news. Sometimes, he  _really_  hated her. Yep, she had truly become his sister. “Ok, out with the bad news.”  
                “It was X5R-494.” And the smile she let slip as she spun on her heel to head back in her room was just the icing on the cake. He really,  _really_  wanted to hit something. However, Sam was already looking at him, shocked as hell.  
                “I guess not all the super-soldiers were killed in the fire.”  
                “I’m figuring a hell of a lot more escaped then we first thought. This complicates things.” Dean sank down onto the old couch they had scavenged from a junk yard a few weeks ago and sighed heavily. “You know, I wish she’d think for once.”  
                “So she stormed out and went to a bar. You were yelling at her, dude. I’ve seen you do that to me more than once.” And Dean muttered something like ‘yeah, well that’s different’ and Sam just laughed. “You want me to see if I can wrangle up that spirit board?”  
                “Yeah. You go get that, I’m gonna head down to Market Street and try to scrounge some sweet-grass and white sage. We still got Bobby’s book on protective circles, right?”  
                “In the trunk.” Dean nodded. “You wanna take the Impala?”   
                The look Dean gave him was so ‘no duh’, that Sam almost started laughing again. Almost.  
  
 **SEATTLE  
SOUTH MARKET STREET  
MARCH 2021**  
  
                It was dirty, and it reminded him of New York’s China Town on its worst day. With the exception of being dirtier and more crowded. However, his sector pass cleared him to enter, and he got approving nods at his baby—classic cars were a rarity in Post Pulse America—and sent a warning glare to the Sector Cop who looked like he was going to start something, maybe try to impound the car again. The dude backed off, and he made his way slowly in. He parked off the street, covered her with a tarp and muttered two spells, the first was one Keegan had taught him to cloak things…it made people’s eyes slide away from the object it was cast on. The second would incapacitate  _anything_  that tried to mess with it, assuming they got past the first spell. Both of which reminded him strongly of something out of  _Harry Potter_ , but Keegan had parked the Impala in the middle of a tow-away zone just to prove the point. He trusted them fully.  
                Now, to find the damn herbs…he knew there was an herbalist down a couple of stalls, but the merchants were constantly changing their merchandise and even locations, so that was bound to turn into a scavenger—He slapped himself on the forehead.  _Am I a transgenic or what?_  He took a deep breath, for the soul purpose of  _scenting_. It was weird…and still difficult for him to sort out, but there was the distinct taste of sage on his tongue. That was also weird for him, the fact that scent and taste were practically one and the same. He had wondered why dogs and cats loved to lick everything they smelled... Not that he was planning on licking anything he could smell here…there was stale urine, and pot, and something that could be cocaine, as well as dried blood and rotten food, and every other conceivable disgusting scent that came with an open market in a slum.  
                He made a quick left, and found himself standing in front of the herbalist’s shop. There was an elderly lady manning the shop, Asian, probably Chinese, and come to think of it, probably only a few years older than he ‘technically’ was. He was supposed to be 42-ish, and she was in her 50’s…ok, so she was a bit older than he was, still.  “餵 尋找白色賢哲的。 得到了其中任一？” He asked. She stared at him blankly. Figured, all that time bugging Sammy to teach him… “I’m looking for white sage. Got any?”  
                “Sure.” She said, and started to turn, heading into the dark recesses of her shop to grab the herb.   
                “Oh, and sweet-grass too.” He called after her. She hesitated, but then nodded and continued. When, less than two minutes later she laid the jars of herbs on the counter, he made to pay her, she placed a hand over the jars protectively.  
                “Sage and sweet-grass. Sounds like spirit summoning.” Dean raised his eyebrows.  
                “And what would you know of spirit summoning?” She gave him a very hard look, one that made him feel, well, young.  
                “A bit, young man. And I know enough not to go messing with forces I can’t control. Not when the world is already in hell as it is.”  
                Dean couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Trust me, lady, this isn’t hell. This is the bright and sunny alternative.” He looked her straight in the eye. “And I’ve got some experience with handling the ‘forces’. You can control them, if you know what to do.”  
                Her eyes widened with understanding, and she shoved the jars towards him. “A hunter. Twenty five, for both.”  
                “Fucking horrible economy.” He muttered, but forked over the cash anyway. Haggling might have gotten the price down, but the woman could use the money, and she obviously knew what she was doing—and who she was dealing with—however, he was surprised when she stopped him before he could step away. “Oh come on, I gave you the right amount.”  
                “You need to cover your barcode better.” He snapped a hand up to his neck, and his free hand dropped from his messenger bag to his gun tucked in his waist band. She just looked at him, eyes sad. “At least you’re using your abilities for good.” She said, as if that made all the difference. Dean frowned.  
                “Lady, I’ve been doing this since 1983. Don’t get me confused with someone else.” And with that, he turned and walked—quickly, but not X5 quickly—away. He needed to find a new herbalist.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
2021  


_A police report came in today. Suspect in Timothy Ryan’s murder—perpetrated by X5-493—was brought in and identified in the lineup. Suspect has to be X5R-494, previously caught and thought to be killed. Assumed that 494 removed micro-explosive from brain stem before detonation.  
                UPDATE: Suspect was missing barcode from base of neck, though booking noted there had been a recent laser treatment to the area. Suspect also cleared of charges by producing a birth certificate stating he had an identical twin, and passport claiming he was out of the country. Suspect is clearly an X5 with outside help. Extermination postponed until more details can be discerned._

  
  
**SEATTLE  
SECTOR 5  
APRIL 2021**  
  
                “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” Dean really didn’t like spirits. Especially when they chose to appear directly behind him. In a move to make a snake proud, he spun and struck, blurring, and the ghost of the girl—bleeding from a wound in her arm, and barely more then 9—vanished. But, hearing Sam’s gasp, he spun to see an older woman, bearing down on him. “Aren’t you negative spirits supposed to be  _repelled_  by sage?” He made to swing, and found he hit nothing. She was already behind him.  
                “The spirits are faster than us?” Keegan asked, looking shocked and white-faced from inside the salt circle where Sam was still trying to undo the talking board. Taking out the glass in the pointer hadn’t stopped them from appearing, or using it to talk…and nobody had actually  _summoned_  anything.  
                “Apparently! Scoot over!” Dean leapt into the circle, and whirled to face outwards. There were now five spirits circling the enclosed salt and board. “Ok, this so did not go according to plan.”  
                “I don’t know why this isn’t working!” Sam yelped, looking more distressed then before. He accidentally crushed the pointer. The spirits moved forward, still halting at the salt line, but now hissing angrily. “Oops.”  
                “Maybe we should ask them?” Dean gave Keegan a ‘what the fuck’ look, but she glared at him. “Hey, I never had an issue with spirits. So what the hell has got you guys all rabid?” She said to the ghosts.  
                Dean had already started to scoff— _like they were really going to answer_ —when a tall woman stepped forward, frowning, and the rest cleared away from her. “You have no right to call us, abominations.”  
                “Now that’s harsh.” Keegan said, but she stepped back, defaulting to Dean. Sam was still trying to untangle the pointer.  
                “Look, we’re trying to stop this cult…you all were killed by it. They’re—“  
                “Of no concern to you! You aren’t natural!”   
                “Sam, a little help here.”   
                Sam looked up at Dean, frowning. “I think I warned you about this. Spirits are attuned to nature, like Fae—hence the mutual allergy to iron—but we’re not natural. We’re man-made, even if it was apparently ‘god’s plan’. They’re going to hate us.”  
                “Couldn’t you have  _mentioned_  that part when you  _said_  that it wasn’t a good idea?” And then he let out a yell because one of the spirits had charged the circle. The ring of salt seemed to shrink. Sam had to stand up so that they could all fit. “Whoa, that’s new.”  And then he felt Keegan trembling. Glancing over at her, he elbowed Sam, who also looked. She had her eyes closed, and her hands outstretched—any further, and they’d be fair game for the spirits to grab—and there was a green energy glowing around her.  _That_ was new. Screeching, the spirits backed up. Not far, but enough that Sam was able to reach out of the shrinking circle to grab a salt-loaded sawed-off and fired into the group. Dean grabbed the other as soon as he had a clear opening. “Keegan! Where’s the back…fuck me.”  
                Keegan was on the floor, half outside the salt ring, nose and ears bleeding. And the worst part was, there was nothing they could do, not till they got the spirits out of there and back at rest. “Sam, send them back to wherever they came from, I’ll back you up.” And he was off, firing the gun and swinging an iron fire poker with his free hand when he had to reload. Ten minutes later, Sam had finished the spell, and they were ghost free. Keegan was convulsing on the floor.  
                Three days later, after they got her stable, Dean woke her up and shoved a duffle in her hand. “I warned you.” He said, fighting to keep from yelling. She just looked up at him, and without another word, took her duffle, and left.  
                “Dean, that was harsh.”  
                “I warned her. She wants to pretend she’s still a Faerie and kill herself because her brain drains more and more serotonin from her system, then fine, she can do it. But not in front of me. I will  _not_  watch her die.” And for him, the conversation was over. What he didn’t know was that Sam continued to call her, just to keep in touch, every couple of days.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
2021  
  
 _Use of extreme force is granted._

  
  
**CALIFORNIA**  
LATE APRIL 2021  
  
                “You really think this is the place where the cult was?” Dean asked Sam, peering through the Impala’s windshield at the demolished landscape of what used to be Los Angeles. Sam nodded, and stared, a little in shock. Well, Dean couldn’t blame him. He was a little in shock too. They had passed the Hollywood sign (falling over and in severe disrepair) and the closed down lots of hundreds of studios. And then there was this…it was listed as a private school, but it didn’t look like much of a private school now. There were the vestiges of beautifully laid stonework, but most of it was rubble. And that meant, they had to get down there and sift through it.  
                “Ok, you ready, man?” Sam nodded again, but didn’t move until Dean had shut the door and moved around to open the trunk. Then Sam was out of the car and gaping at him.   
                “You’re not actually going down there, are you?”  
                “What?”  
                Sam gave him a ‘you’re an idiot’ look, and sighed. “There’s dirt and debris first of all, which is going to make climbing horrible.  _Then_  there’s the mold, fungus and bacteria that we’d be breathing in, because that stuff  _loves_  ruins, and this certainly passes the qualification. Then we’ve got the fact that there’s no way of knowing if anything of…why are you laughing at me?”  
                “Dude, you’re a top-secret, government designed super soldier who is immune to every known biological and bio-chemical agent. You have super strength, speed, and senses, not to mention your psychic powers, and you’ve got eleven years of government training for survival situations.” He slapped his brother on the shoulder, smiling. “Besides, how are we going to know if there’s anything we need if we don’t go and see?” And with that, he continued to get rope, their rock climbing harnesses, carabineers and anchoring gear. Sam continued to stand there for a second before he finally moved to fall in next to Dean.  
                “Ok, so you’ve got a point.”  
                “Yeah. I know.”  
                “What about the fact there are Police Hover Drones all over the area?” Dean looked up, and, indeed, there were a hell of a lot of Hover Drones for an old pile of ruins.  
                “Huh.” The gear was loaded back in the car. “Wanna try to pull the records from the county?” Sam gave him a laugh.  
                “Sure.” And with that, he pulled out his cell phone, and dialed the new number to access local listings. Dean’s phone went off. He glanced down at the caller ID and frowned, before letting it switch over to voicemail. As soon as it beeped, he picked it up (after making sure that Sam was deep in conversation with some bureaucrat) and listened to his new message:  
                “ _I don’t know who this is…but, I think you know Keegan. She’s here and she’s sick. Like, bad sick. She did something freaky—or tried to, anyway—to get us out of a tight jam. I shouldn’t have put her in that position to begin with, but it was serious…ok, it was stupid._ ” There was a pause. “ _Keegan told me she had family…I just wanna make sure she doesn’t die. Please, please, help her._ ”  
                Dean hesitated…and then dialed the number. The second he heard ‘Hello?’ in a strangely familiar voice, he started speaking, “She needs tryptophan. A lot of it. Whenever she uses her abilities—which she shouldn’t be doing—her brain needs serotonin.” A pause.  
                The kid said “Ok, I can do that. Do you want to see her?” Dean’s hand tightened on the phone, and he glanced over at Sam, who was making notes, and frowning, absorbed in his own conversation.  
                “No…no. Just…make sure she’s ok.” And a sudden thought occurred to him. “You’re an X5.”  
                “494, and is that a problem?”  
                Dean sighed. “No. take care of her.” And he hung up.  


**BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
2021  
  
 _Outside help initiated. Cover for government deemed inconsequential. Sending in the Phalanx._

  
**SEATTLE**  
SECTOR 5  
MAY 7th 2021  
  
                “Turn on the news!” Dean jumped—no, he didn’t jump, he reached for the remote—when Sam burst through the door, yelling at the top of his lungs. “Turn on the fucking news!”  
                “Damnit, Sam, calm your ass down!” Dean finally managed to grab the remote and flicked to channel 2, where there was live footage of …”Oh shit.”  
                “ _The transgenics took several hostages before they barricaded themselves inside the messenger service called ‘Jam Pony’. The hostages at gun point included a Caucasian male, in his early twenties, two women of the same age, one pregnant, and a younger boy. This is a horrifying realization for some people, but a logical—if sad—jump for those already anti-transgenic._ ”  
                Dean made to shut off the tv, but his attention was caught by the footage from the hover drone of the original hostage taking. “Oh mother fucking piece of shit…”  
                Sam leaned in too. “That’s not—“  
                “Oh, it is.”  
                “Fuck me.”  
                “X5-494.”  
                “He prefers Alec.” They spun. Keegan stood there, looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise healthy.

                “Keely!” Sam stepped forward and embraced her in a hug. Dean didn’t move. “Are you ok? I haven’t heard from you—“  
                “I need you guys to come with me. It’s not safe out here.” She gave Sam a small smile before turning her attention to Dean. “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, I fucked up. Trust me, I’ve paid for it…” She looked down. “But you’re my family, and I don’t want you guys getting killed in the coming raid. You know they’re going to start hunting down transgenics…there’s a refuge for us, a colony.”  
                “Oh, and you just happen to know this?” She glared at him.  
                “Where did you think I was staying?”  
                “Well, seemed like you were getting pretty cozy with my genetic clone there, you know, 494…or is it Alec?” Sam looked between them like he was watching a tennis match. Keegan, however, didn’t back down. She stepped up so she was an inch from Dean’s face, granted standing on her tip-toes to do so.  
                “You threw me out. You have no right to judge when you have no idea about  _anything_ I’ve been doing.” She looked at Sam, backing off from Dean. “Terminal City, if you want to come.” And she was gone. Apparently, she could still teleport.  
                Behind them, the news still rambled on, this time on how another transgenic had just rode a hover drone through the window into the siege. “Dean…it’s gonna be a man hunt out there.” Dean sat down, burying his face in his hands. “Seriously, I think Keegan’s right on this.” He looked up, dragging a hand down his face. “Dean, please, say something.” The tv blared on about the military taking over the operation. Mobs of ‘ordinaries’ were standing behind police barricades, yelling their hate to the people who were designed to protect them. They were getting featured interviews, too, on how much they hated transgenics, how they should all be wiped out…how they didn’t have souls…  
                Dean wanted to laugh. Yeah, he, Sam and Keegan were living proof that transgenics  _did_ have souls… but, this… he wished Bobby was here. Or Ellen. Hell,  _Dad_.  
                “Dean?”  
                “…I…I don’t know what to do, Sam…” He looked skywards. “Can’t someone tell me what the fuck I’m supposed to do?” He yelled, standing. Sam leapt backwards a few feet, startled (and rightly so).  
                There was a sound…like the beating of wings, and Dean turned—  
                “You need to go to Terminal City. You need to be there when your people need you.”  
                Dean knew his eyes must have gone comically wide. Behind him, Sam made a noise halfway between a squeak and a yelp. Dean’s mouth went dry.  
                “Castiel.” He hadn’t seen this form in twelve years…  
                The angel smiled, nodding. “It’s good to see you.” He looked at Sam, giving him a smile too before looking back at Dean. “We have work to do.”


	5. Chapter 5

**SECTOR 5**  
  
                “Damnit Keegan!” And again, Dean found his ‘sister’ on the ground, trembling, blood trickling from her nose and ears. Sam was right behind him, and when he caught sight of her, he let loose a stream of curses that made Dean proud, or would have if Keegan’s trembling hadn’t been getting steadily worse. By the time they got her conscious and stable, Dean had worked up a head of steam. He was beyond pissed. He was  _furious_. “What the  _fuck_  were you thinking?” She wasn’t looking at him, and  _that_  was pissing him off too. “Were you even thinking? I mean, how many times do we have to go through—where the fuck do you think you’re going?”  
                Keegan, however, ignored him and walked with her head held high and as little tremor as she could past him and Sam towards the door. The apartment was too small. She needed to get away, get air…  
                “Kee, come on.” Sam pleaded. She gave him a sad look, but shook her head and continued out the door.  
                It took Dean all of two seconds to attempt to go after her. Sam—walking the line between becoming Dean’s next target and actually getting his brother to see reason—stepped in front of him. “She’ll be back.”  
                “Yeah…well…” And he punched the wall, leaving a huge hole in the wake of his fist. Sam sighed—he was going to have to patch that in the morning—and looked back over   
his shoulder. Keegan was already gone.

**SECTOR 9**  
  
                If there was one thing Alec hated, it was how edgy everyone was when they were walking alone. Sometimes it really bugged him when he watched them enter Crash and that damned ‘I’m safe’ spread across their features like bad acne. It was just sickening. But when this latest one stumbled through—hot, dark, and lean—her face didn’t clear. She looked pissed—the type of pissed he usually associated with ‘Arg! Men!’—and that really was such a waste…  
                “Whiskey. Better make it a double.” She snapped to the bar tender, taking the stool closest to the door. Alec raised his eyebrows, intrigued. He’d picked up the habit from Manticore—know the people so you could become invisible—but somewhere along the line he realized he  _liked_  people watching. And his Manticore enhanced charm and empathy usually helped him take advantage of the ones that ‘intrigued’ him. And in that package…She was already tossing down cash for her drink and moving towards the back of the bar. Alec was ready to chalk it up to seeing a friend, until he realized her hands had been empty. Her whiskey was still on the bar, untouched. Alec snapped his head up, looking around for her. She was ducking though the pack of people, blending in with an ease that spoke of training…  
                He could have slapped himself. She was probably another transgenic, one that mistook his interest for being made. X series, obviously, probably 4 or 5. Too old for 6. Tossing a couple of bills to cover his tab, he followed her out the back way. And he was very glad he did. The girl was leaning against the wall, shaking, trying to open a pill bottle. That answered one question; she was X5.  
                “Hey, you ok?” She spun, holding her arms in a defensive posture. Alec held his hands up and turned, using one hand to push his collar down and show her his barcode. When he turned back, she looked at him for a second before taking two steps back. “Whoa, I’m not gonna hurt ya. Just seeing if you need some help.”  
                “Um…sorry…” She gave a nervous laugh. “You just startled me.”  
                “Bad run for the seizures?” She nodded, still staring at him.  _Yeah, definitely hiding something. Probably ashamed of what she’s been doing to survive._  He stepped closer to her, but that only forced her back further. “Whoa, heh, skittish.”  
                “Sorry, I…um…should go.” And she backed away a few more steps before turning, and walking away.  
                “Hey, wait.” He was a little surprised when she paused, glancing over her shoulder. “I’m Alec.”  
                “Keegan Wi—“ She stopped. “Keegan.” And then she started walking again. Shrugging, Alec turned and started to head back inside. He paused at the door, glancing back, but she was gone.  


**SECTOR 5**  
  
                She knew she didn’t make a sound, she  _knew_  it. And yet, as she rounded the corner or their squatted apartment’s living room, there was Dean. And he looked pissed. It was starting to be a regular thing. “Dean, look, I—“  
                “Let me make one thing clear.” She snapped her mouth shut. He stepped up, giving her barely an inch of breathing room. “You want to push your limits, you want to fuck with your brain and gank yourself because you can’t accept you’re  _not_  a freaking Faerie anymore? Fine. You go do it. But not here. I refuse to stand around and watch you die. So, just so we understand, if you go pushing your powers any further than your demon level freaky shit, you’re gone. Do I make myself  _clear_.” He was leaning in now, eye to eye with her. Keegan felt herself tense, and realized she had snapped to attention.  
                “Crystal.”  
                Dean stared her down for another minute before turning and barking “Dismissed!” She executed a perfect about-face and headed over to her partitioned room. She lasted until April.

**SECTOR 9**  
  
                Keegan found herself once again at the bar called Crash. She wasn’t sure why, but at least she knew it was relatively safe for ‘her kind’. Yeah, she heard passing tabloid talk, but no one was getting worked up, or uberly violent with outsiders. Plus, if she remembered correctly, nobody seemed very good at pool. Her brothers had taught her  _something_ , but that thought hurt, and she pushed it away. She was on her fifth win, about two hundred up, when a pool stick was laid on the cleared table and a voice said “Can I call next game?” She looked up and inwardly groaned. It was 494—Alec was what he called himself now. She had been hoping for an easy mark. His cocky smile suggested otherwise. “Come on, scared of a friendly game?”  
                On the other hand, wiping the floor with a guy who shared enough DNA with Dean Winchester to be confused for at first glance could be an acceptable substitute for kicking the real Dean’s ass. She flashed him her most puck-ish smile and leaned forward. “Friendly game?”  
                He let out a small laugh. “Wouldn’t wanna take all your money, sweetheart.” She raised her eyebrows.  _Sweetheart? Oh no._  
                “Fifty on my win.” She reached into her pocket, and tossed the bills on the table. “You can even have first break.” Alec also raised his eyebrows, but smiled.  
                “Ok. You’re on.”  
                The game was quick and dirty. Alec started it, casually brushing a hand over her lower back and causing her to hit the cue just a hair off. Rather annoyed—mostly with herself—Keegan let Alec have the table…he missed his third shot because the cue shifted a quarter inch to the left. Alec glanced around the table—none of the other balls had moved, so the table couldn’t have been bumped—and shrugged it off to a bad blink. They kept winning and losing control of the table quickly, but ultimately, Alec sunk the 8 ball and won the game. He gave her that damned cocky smile—he had scraped the victory by the skin of his teeth—and sauntered over to her.  
                “Damned good game.” She said, moving to pick up and present him with his winnings. He put his hand over hers, and she looked up at him, startled.  
                “Usually, I’d have no problem takin’ your money, Keegan, but you got the distinct look of someone with no place to go…want another game? You lose, eh, hurt your pride. You win, you’re back—“  
                “I don’t need your charity.” She made to pull her hand away, and for a second, she didn’t think he was going to let go. He did, though he also stepped forward.  
                “Look, I’ve been where you are. I know you’ll need your cash for Tryptophan at least. I get that you’re tough, I’m not trying to be ‘charitable’, I’m tryin’ to make sure our kind don’t end up on the street.” He paused, like it was something he didn’t want to admit. “Exposure would definitely be an issue.”  
                Keegan nodded slowly. He didn’t want her to know he cared. That certainly seemed to be genetic. “I was going to stay over in Sector 5…”she trailed off, realizing she was revealing way too much to a Manticore Alum with questionable loyalties, and oh god, had she been  _flirting_  with him? Looking up at him, she realized Freud would have a fucking  _field_  day with her. “And I should actually go set that up.”  
                “You got people waiting for you?” He said, seeing the brush off for what it was. She shook her head.  
                “No…it’s just…it’s new.” She looked up again and offered him a smile. “I will take you up on a rematch.” He returned the smile.  
                “I’ll even buy you a round.”  
                “See ya, Alec.” He waved, and she headed out. Ten minutes later, she was getting by the sector police as Keegan Winchester, former college student. Twenty minutes after that, she found a decent apartment—abandoned—and designated it home base.  
  
 **SECTOR 6**  
  
                “…Yes…Thank you.” And Sam hung up the cell phone. Dean turned to look at him, still wary of the slow Seattle traffic and his precious Impala. “There are no records available pre-Pulse. I think it’s a dead end.”  
                Dean looked at him like that wasn’t the information he had been expecting. “Ok, then we try those earthquake sites.”  
                “Do you want me to call Keegan?”  
                A long pause. “I’ll work on getting us passes out of the city. We should try to trace those reports and get firsthand accounts if we can.”Sam let the subject drop.

**SECTOR 9**  
  
                “This seat taken?” Keegan glanced up from her drink to see Alec standing by the table, drink in hand. She smiled.  
                “I’m starting to think you’re making this a regular thing.”  
                “Hey, you started coming to  _my_  bar.” He slid into the seat and offered her a large smile. “So, you need some cash?”  
                “I told you before, I’m not a hooker, Alec, and you’d make a pretty sucky pimp.” He laughed.  
                “Not what I meant. I mean, I knew I recognized you from Stealth and Tracking, and Complex Ops…105 right?” She gave a hesitant nod. If that was  _all_  he remembered… “I got a little…job lined up. Could use some backup and take is big enough I don’t mind sharing, especially with such a fine specimen.” He wriggled his eyebrows, and she laughed outright.  
                “You know your lines don’t work. But you’re serious about the job?” Alec nodded. Keegan smiled. “Alright. Fill me in.”  
                Two hours and several rounds later, Keegan was heading back to her ‘home’ and Alec was heading back to the bar for his one-for-the-road.  
                “Got yourself a girl, tiger?” He spun, and his mood instantly darkened.  
                “Hi, Max.” Just who he needed to get all suspicious and complicate things. Seriously, he liked her better when she  _didn’t_  like him, He flashed her an obviously forced smile. “Is it a crime to chat up a beautiful lady?” Max frowned and damnit, she was concerned.  
                “Sor-rey.” And just as quickly, her tough girl act was up. Alec knew this wasn’t the last he was going to hear about it either, but he was so  _totally_  saved by the appearance of Asha. Max tolerated her—even less then she had ‘tolerated’ Alec back in the day—and her being here would throw her…off…track… “I’ll talk to you later, Alec. Don’t be an idiot.” And she was off, probably to find Original Cindy.  
                Either way, that last drink was now looking  _really_  good.

**SECTOR 4**  
  
                “I looked for you.” Keegan paused, he lock picks trembling ever so slightly before she cast Alec a look and then turned back to the safe in front of her.  
                “Yeah? Where?” What idiot used a tumbler lock on a safe? Not a code or a keypad…it needed a damned key.   
                She was almost back to being completely immersed when he blurted, “When I got back from my…solo mission. After I got released from Psy-Ops. Never saw you. Deployed?”  
                Keegan realized she had gone numb when she heard the clatter of her pick hitting the floor. Luckily, the sound also snapped her out of the panic that had started to build. She grabbed the pick and very quickly (with more than a little push from her mind) opened the lock. “Got it!” She glanced up at Alec, and for one very scary instant it was staring down Dean Winchester who  _knew_  you knew something. Alec obviously wasn’t going to let it go. “Is now really the best time?”  
                Alec—who had moved to empty the contents of the safe which smelled like cash—looked like he was going to argue the point. Then there was the distinct sound of com static. It was low, and if they hadn’t just then been silent, their hearing wouldn’t have registered it. It was just barely enough warning before three men leapt from the shadows, landing and coming straight for them.  
                “Eh, you’re right.” Alec said, leveling a foot against one wall and pushing off, planting his foot against the other, momentum carrying him sideways and slamming fully into one of the men.  
                Keegan hesitated— _Teleport? That’s certainly not X-Series_ —and  _that_  taught her a very important lesson: these fuckers hit  _hard_. She felt a rib give way and rolled with the punch, trying to keep breath in her lungs. She used her right arm to grab for her darts, intending to disable—  
                Mistake number two. “These fucking psychos! Go for killing blows! Bastards don’t feel pain!” Alec called, and it was punctuated by the staccato of a silencer on a pistol. There was a thud, and a crack. One down. Alec caught the movement first, and called out. They had reinforcements. It was now two X5’s against six of whatever they were. “This is going sideways.” He muttered. They were about to get put down like dogs…  
                “Get behind me!” For once, Alec didn’t question it, he just did as he was told.  
                “If you wanted me to watch your six…” He started, but she shushed him. The others had circled them.  
                Then…for a minute he could have  _sworn_  he heard leaves rustling in the trees, bird song…And Keegan slammed back into him as if a giant gust of wind had knocked her back. He caught her, leveling the pistol he had ‘liberated’ with his free hand when he realized the six familiars they had been fighting had also been knocked backwards, some of which were actually  _embedded_  in the walls around them. All of them seemed too dazed to continue. Alec glanced down at Keegan, who was unconscious and bleeding from her nose, her ears, god even her eyes and decided  _now_ would be a great time to get the hell out of there. He scooped up the bag with his gun hand—20 grand each was too big to pass up—and then leveraged Keegan onto his shoulder. She was lighter than he expected.  
                They were out of there before the first of the familiars had recovered.

**SECTOR 5**  
  
                This wasn’t good. Whatever Keegan had done, it certainly wasn’t something her body had wanted to do. He had brought her back to his apartment—Terminal City was still heavily transhuman and didn’t always like the X-series hanging around—and cleaned the blood off her face. But then the seizures had started, and with them more bleeding. Her body temperature dropped to. Even her  _barcode_  was red and puffy, as if she was somehow allergic to the pigmentation coded for her skin.  
                This was certainly not something that had been covered in Field Med. So he dug through her bag until he found her cell phone—nice one too, from ’08—and quickly ran through their conversation over the last few weeks and her contact list, waiting for a name to trigger. It didn’t take long. ‘D’ and the name was ‘Dean’ and it sparked a conversation about her adopted family—he was her big brother. Since Manticore had only gone down last September, he was guessing they were either X-series or very open-minded Ordinaries, but either way, they’d most likely know how to deal with it.  
                So Alec called. And his frustration mounted when it went to voicemail. Sighing, he spoke, “I don’t know who this is…but, I think you know Keegan. She’s here and she’s sick. Like, bad sick. She did something freaky—or tried to, anyway—to get us out of a tight jam. I shouldn’t have put her in that position to begin with, but it was serious…ok, it was stupid.” He took a deep breath, it was time to own up to his mistakes, not hide from them. “Keegan told me she had family…I just wanna make sure she doesn’t die. Please, please, help her.” He hated that he sounded desperate, but it had been his plan, his heist, and she was a transgenic.   
                He took her phone with him as he went back to the living room, sitting on the pillows he had laid her on, and carefully holding her upper body against his so that she wouldn’t twitch into something and break any more ribs. He was a little surprised when her phone rang just a minute later. “Hello?”  
                “She needs tryptophan. A lot of it. Whenever she uses her abilities—which she shouldn’t be doing—her brain needs serotonin.” Alec glared at the phone, but gently laid her down, and moved to grab his own stock.  
                “Ok, I can do that.” He hesitated before asking, “Do you want to see her?” He wasn’t surprised when the man on the other side remained silent for a long moment.  
                “No…no. Just…make sure she’s ok. You’re an X5.”  
                He wasn’t sure if that was meant to be accusing or just a statement of fact. “494, and is that a problem?”  
                He could hear the other man sigh. “No. take care of her.” And then the absolute silence that meant the other man had ended the call.   
                Getting the Tryptophan into her was a whole ‘nother problem, but, eventually, he had her awake, still a little shaky, but looking ever better.  
                “Thank you.” She said, as he passed her a glass of milk. However, Alec didn’t let go. She sighed. “I swear…this is becoming a fucking trend.” Alec raised his eyebrows, but knelt in front of her, still holding onto the glass (and her hand).  
                “Now I’m  _really_  curious. See, what you did back there…that’s not something I’ve ever seen in an X5 before. And you not being around when I got back…hard to miss you when we were in the same platoon since the 09 Reindoctrination. I can get the records, I can find out what happened. I want to hear it from you.”  
                Keegan had played this game before—and she’d been living with the world’s best conmen for the better part of two years—half-truths came easy. “I’m mixed with a scraped project from the X4 series, and optimized for ‘psychic’ abilities. I was deployed on training for a deep cover mission just after you left. When Manticore went down, I saw the news, and laid low. Hung with some drifters I’d befriended.”  
                Alec leaned forward and for one fraction of a second, Keegan thought he might kiss her—and he was staring her down, saying “You’re lying.” Her eyes went wide, and—damnit—there went any thought of playing it off. He sat back, letting go of the glass and resting on his haunches. “I know you’re not telling me everything about the whole ‘psychic’ thing, but that’s true at least.” He tapped his head. “Manticore played with my head for that too. The whole empathy and charisma thing. But they also gave me another little ability. I can sense when people are lying. And you weren’t deployed on a solo mission.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Reindoctrination makes a lot of my pre-’18 memories a little hazy, but not  _that_  fucked up.”  
                “You’d never believe me.”  
                “Try me.”  
                There was a long pause, and he sat and waited. And then she took a long drink from her milk, and gestured to the couch next to her. “This is going to take a while.”  
                “That big, huh?”  
                And so she told him. About being born with Fae blood back in the sixteen hundreds and her duty and birthright, about dying the first time, only to wake up the next morning, cold, wet, and scared, realizing she was a baby again. About, as her soul was reincarnated, her powers and abilities grew. About the war she fought on the side of angels, her own people shunning her for choosing to take a side, and then she got hesitant. “I jumped. I got the date right…but not the location. I ended up on some military base, where I was forced to defend myself, and got sniped. Woke up, again, and found it had been two years since I died, and that they were suspicious of a baby that didn’t cry. So I locked up that part of me, and became the perfect little soldier…”  
                “Till 2018.” She took a deep breath.  
                “I couldn’t take it anymore. So I cast a double of myself, and snuck out. Found my wards—angels somehow wrangled them into X5’s as well, 112 and 113—and was running with them until…”  _Until Dean cast me out…_  Alec was staring at her, and she knew he was waiting. This whole lie sensing thing was annoying. “Until Dean tossed me on my ass because I wouldn’t stop using my Fae powers, which slowly kill me because I’m unnatural.” She waited. And waited. “You think I’m crazy.”  
                He laughed, and said “Oh, honey, I  _wish_  I thought you were crazy. I’d  _love_  for you to be crazy.” He sighed. “But you’re not lying, and I can’t say that’s any weirder then genetically engineered soldiers of mixed animal DNA…but I would like to actually see those…demons, or what was is,  _vengeful spirits_.” He chuckled.  
                She gave him a wary glance. “You’re mocking me.”  
                “Nah. It’s just a lot to, take in. But I do get to mock it cause, hey, it’s a fucking ghost.”  
                “Wait until you finally meet one.” She went to take another sip of her milk, and was surprised to find it gone. Alec leaned forward and gently took the cup from her.  
                “I’ll get you another one, why don’t you take my bed and try to get some rest. I promise I’ll be a good boy.” He winked at her, and stood, gesturing towards the bedroom. “Go, I got the couch, and work in a few hours anyway.” He didn’t tell her that he was freaking out a little more than he let on. Granted, all of this stuff had been theoretically possible—quantum physics suggested tons of theories, and metaphysics (the science behind psychics) referenced spirits, demons and angels…  
                She had fallen asleep before he got back with her milk, and he looked down at her, frowning at some sad dream, and wondered. It wasn’t hard to recall the process, even if he had only been on the receiving end of it before. They’d tried all sorts of psychological tests on them, including hypnosis. “You know your limits. You gotta accept your new role. We all have to.” He knew it was crossing a line, and he wasn’t even sure it would work. But he also knew that Keegan had lifetimes building who she was…  
                And now she wasn’t. She would kill herself before admitting it. He just hoped it went a little towards her realizing she wasn’t alone in this. And he was going to head back to the couch before he started  _caring_  or anything. Just because they had been unit mates once upon a Manticore meant  _nothing_.

**SECTOR 9**  
  
                “And who is your fine lady friend, Alec?” Original Cindy asked, following Alec’s gaze to the entrance of Crash. Alec smiled a little, the thought was amusing, and then chuckled.  
                “A friend. You know, just…” And he paused. “Yeah, a friend”  
                OC gave him a look that fit perfectly with the disbelieving “Mmmhmm.” He ignored her. “Come on, tell Original Cindy the truth, you know I’m good for it.” Alec laughed.  
                “Oh, Cin, that’s one truth that even you wouldn’t be able to handle.” But, he figured he owed her something, less she got Max involved. “I’m being…supportive. She’s going through a rough time, and I don’t want to over step any boundaries.”  
                “You mean she’s gotta man, and they be fightin’, and you’re bein’ friendly. Original Cindy knows where that’s goin’.”  
 _What do you want me to say? I’ve got enough DNA from her former-ward-turned-X5-brother to pass for him at a distance and thus think it might venture into weird for her? Yeah, right._  If he was really honest with himself, it was because he didn’t want to get rejected  _because_ he looked like her ‘brother’, and then lose out on her company altogether. He was turning into a fucking sap, and it was starting to piss him off. He was also going to have to find another pool of girls who didn’t have some genetic reference of  _him_  as their “brother”.  
                Original Cindy suddenly gave him a knowing look, and then there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Keegan standing behind his stool. “Hey, Keegan.” He turned sideways, mediating between OC and her. “Keegan, this is Original Cindy. Cin, this is Keegan.”  
                “Pleasure.” OC purred, holding out a hand. Keegan smiled and took it.  
                “Ditto. Hey, Alec.” She gave him a slightly shyer smile than usual, and he raised an eyebrow. When she leaned across the bar to get her drink, he could scent why. He grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled, and she slid back onto the stool, without her drink. “What?” She hissed at him, tugging at her tank top as if it would reshape it.  
                “Don’t you think it’s a bad idea to be running around other X5s when its—you know—that time of the year?” He whispered, leaning in closer. The look she gave him was completely blank, and he sighed. “Heat, Keegan. The damned feline DNA? You’ll get yourself jumped if you’re not careful…unless that’s what you’re looking for, and if it is, I won’t judge.”  
                “What the fuck are you talking about? Sam and Dean are X5, they never were affected by it. It’s a female hormone thing.”  
                “Damnit, Keegan, pheromones. Back at Manticore, the birth control drugs suppressed all that shit. When I was put in the breeding program…oh shit.” He looked at her with dawning realization. “You weren’t in the breeding program.”  
                “No duh.”   
                Alec glanced around to make sure OC was back chatting some other chick up before he leaned in closer, now fighting against his own hormones. “Your heat cycle is just like a cat’s. So you’re giving off pheromones. Normal guys can’t scent it… but X5 males? Ever wonder why there are so many stray cats?” He sat upright again, shaking his head a little. “I’m guessing the only reason why Sam and…Dean didn’t react is they didn’t spend enough time around you or…” He was so going to get hit.  
                “Or what?” But she asked.  
                “Or they  _did_  and then subsequently figured that was bad, and made themselves ignore it. In which case, those guys should be given sainthood.” He shifted in his seat. “I think I’m gonna head back.”  
                Keegan actually  _blushed_  and that was so not helping. “Nah, I’m gone.” She dropped a five spot on the bar and turned to leave.  Alec thought vaguely about stopping her. Pheromones were always a horrible excuse though.

**SECTOR 7**  
  
                “I don’t wanna hide anymore.” Alec raised his eyebrows, but nodded, and picked up the electric razor.  
                He picked up a strand of her long, black hair and queried, “You sure?”  
                “It’s only the bottom, dude.” He smirked. “What?”  
                “It’s almost like you’re proud you’re a transgenic. Never thought I would see the day.” She turned and looked at him over her shoulder, making sure to catch his eye.  
                “I’ve got my limits. And I think it means something too.” He found himself raising his eyebrows again.  
                “Oh really?” She aimed a swat at him, which he easily dodged.  
                “Yeah. Actually, Dean said it first. He said I could use my ‘freaky demon powers’…and Sam can too.” Alec nodded. “Not all of the X series can do that…only the X4 and X5 group have ever shown any psychic ability. Those are the two gene pools that had supernatural DNA added to the cocktail…unless…what if this Sandman brought research and samples from the Breeding Cult? What if the cult’s initiation was surviving demon blood? We know it takes exceptional genetics, Azazel taught us that when he set up his own breeding plan.”   
                “You’re saying that the last initiation isn’t a natural virus, but maybe something like demon blood? But how would we be immune?”  
                She shrugged. “I dunno, but it’s a place to start.” Then she smiled, and swiveled back in her seat. “Now, we gonna do this?”  
                “You do know that ‘barber’ wasn’t one of my classes back at Manticore.” But he started it up anyway. It was a needed physical representation of her internal change. When he was done, the back was trimmed short. “It’s like a reverse mullet.”  
                “Dean would say something like that.” He couldn’t read her voice. They were silent for a long time.

**SECTOR 7**  
MAY 7th 2021  
  
                “Just…chill here till I get back from work. We’ll go over there together, get them to come.” Alec said, adjusting the brake on his bike. “I wish they didn’t need my ‘cycle in TC, man. It looks like it’s gonna rain today.” Keegan laughed, leaning on the front porch of Joshua’s old house. She had met the dog-boy, and liked him instantly. Joshua seemed to like her, but was more interested in getting back to Terminal City before anyone saw him. The poor guy was increasingly paranoid as the days grew on.  
                “I think it would be a moot point either way. And why do I have to wait?” Alec gave her a look.  
                “Cuz when you last saw your brothers, you got kicked out, and it might be nice to have some support?” He tossed his hands up, “But, hey, forgive me for trying to be a nice guy.” She smacked him on the shoulder, and couldn’t help a smile.  
                “Fine. But I’m not playing homemaker all day. I’m tired of playing babysitter to a bunch of supplies. They think the house is abandoned. No one’s gonna steal anything.” Alec stood and placed a hand on her cheek.  
                “Everyone goes on supply duty. Sides, this is also a safe point for transgenics if they’re on they’re out of state. Be nice if they had a welcome.” He seemed to realize his hand was lingering too long, because he then gave two pats to her cheek before pulling away. “Besides, there’s lots of books.” He always said it like it was a bad thing.  
                “And a tv.” She didn’t need to remind him of that—he stole it—but it was the usual banter when they went on supply runs, which seemed to happen a lot more recently.  
                “Alright, off before Normal calls the FBI on his missing ‘Golden Boy’.” And he hopped on his bike and road down the street.  
                Mid-morning, Keegan idly had the tv on for background noise when she something caught her attention. “ _Breaking News on the Transgenics. Two transgenics were spotted chasing a young pregnant woman and a young boy by police. They were cornered in an alley entrance where several men and women were mingling. The transgenics took several hostages before they barricaded themselves inside the messenger service called ‘Jam Pony’. The hostages at gun point included a Caucasian male, in his early twenties, two women of the same age, one pregnant, and a younger boy._ ”  
                There was only one moment of hesitation before she closed her eyes and willed herself to the apartment she had shared with Sam and Dean.


	6. Chapter 6

**SEATTLE**  
SECTOR 5  
MAY 7th 2021  
  
                Dean stared at Castiel. Castiel stared back. “Why do you always show up because you need something from us?” Dean flopped back down onto the sofa and grabbed the beer he had been drinking before the news—and Keegan, and then Castiel—had showed up. “One of these days I’d like you to actually  _help_  when I need it. And do  _not_  bring up the whole Prophet thing, because I’m still don’t think that completely counts.”  
                Castiel nodded, as if conceding that point, and moved to sit next to Dean. He then gestured for Sam to sit as well, but he was left with the wooden chair that they often pulled from the ‘dining room’. “I will be helping you.” Dean was glad he was sitting down, because if he hadn’t been, he was sure he would have fallen.  
                “What do you mean?” Sam questioned, and that was probably smart, since angels seemed to have slightly whacked out ideas of ‘helping’. Case in point: wiping out an entire town to stop one seal from breaking.  
                Castiel held Sam’s stare, and that was just weird because Dean could have sworn neither of them needed to blink. Which meant  _he_  needed more alcohol. “I have been given orders to monitor the situation regarding transgenics and humans more closely. My Father views them as his children by proxy—the children of his children—and does not like that they are being hunted and persecuted any more than any other times humans persecute others in His Name. They are part of the solution to the Breeding Cult and the Familiars; the humans who have embraced the Cult’s ideals and are borne as a result of their breeding program. You need to follow Keegan to Terminal City. Not only will they need support in their new leadership, but she has information for you on the Breeding Cult that is vital to your mission.” He paused, and stared hard at Dean. “Why are you so unwilling to put this matter aside? ”  
                Dean blanched and looked away. “She was killing herself, Cas.”   
                Castiel nodded, and Dean got the sneaky suspicion that the angel had gotten some other answer, one Dean hadn’t intended on voicing.  
                “You both need to get to Terminal City. It is unsafe outside for you now. Call this man.” Castiel handed Dean a piece of paper, and as Dean looked back up, Cas was gone.  
                “What does it say?” Sam asked, jumping up and settling himself on the sofa next to Dean. Dean glanced back down at the paper. _Logan Cale. 1(974) 228-555-1374_

  
  
**BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
MAY 8th 2021  
  
 _The National Guard has taken up a perimeter around Terminal City. We have no way of sending operatives in. Awaiting orders._

  
  
**SEATTLE  
SECTOR 7**  
  
                “I really don’t wanna leave the Impala.”   
                “Dean, we need to get inside.”  
                “But she’s gonna get ruined!”   
                There was a muffled chuckle. They both spun, drawing their guns at the sound of laughter from behind them. The man (blonde, with glasses and standing in front of the building they weren’t quite sure was the right one), raised his hands as if to show he was unarmed. There was a woman next to him, and Dean caught himself staring before he glared at the guy again. “Who are you?”  
                “Logan. And this is Max. I’m guessing your Sam?” Dean frowned, but Sam stepped forward, and reached out to take the guy’s proffered hand.  
                “Nah, I’m Sam, that’s my brother, Dean.”  
                “Same unit?” The woman asked.   
                “No. We’re  _brothers_. Sam and Dean Winchester.” Sam said, laughing a little. Dean would have kicked him if he was close enough.  
                “He means we were made from DNA of what ended up being two brothers.” Dean said, stepping forward. The woman was now staring at him. “X5-112, but, please, call me Dean.” He offered his hand to the girl, who now seemed oddly suspicious of him. He almost wasn’t ready when she took his hand, seemingly to shake it, but instead dropped to the ground to flip him over. He landed easily (he would have never managed to regain his footing like that when he was human, but hey, things change), and turned his back on her, shoving his collar down, revealing his barcode. “Happy now?”  
                “You look like Alec…and Ben.” She didn’t sound like that was a good thing.  
                “Well, actually, they look like him, since he kinda came first.”   
                “Thanks, Sam. That’s really important.” Dean snapped, walking back over to his brother and dusting off his leather jacket. Logan, giving a second glance to the back of his neck, walked with him, and stared intently at the car.  
                “Wow. A Chevy Impala… 68?”  
                Dean rubbed idly at an imaginary spot on the chrome of her side-view mirror before answering, “67. It’s been in the family since 1973.” And then he could have kicked himself. Hadn’t he just wanted to kick Sam for telling them they were brothers? “The family that took us in. Both of us got really bad seizures, and one day, we woke up in a house instead of the barracks. Apparently we were slated to be euthanized and in all the chaos of the Pulse, a nurse was able to smuggle us out, and claim that we were dead, but the data was lost.” Yeah, that wasn’t a huge fucking lie. “You have a place to keep my Baby safe? I’m not too fond of leaving her on the street…obvious reasons.”  
                Logan nodded, giving Dean a look that he was sure was suspicious too. “Yeah, there’s a garage entrance to the building, I can keep her there for you.” And after assuring Dean no one would touch her, Dean let Logan into the passenger seat, and had him direct him to the garage.  
                Sam, however, was stuck making small talk with Max, who was apparently the defacto leader of Terminal City. “So, you’re the one who stopped the whole siege at Jam Pony from becoming a major league bloodbath.”  
                She nodded, still looking up at him. “Yeah, I guess. It was no big…I really wanted to let them kill Agent White, but that would have only caused more problems. The Ordinaries don’t know he’s a Familiar.” Sam did a double take.  
                “Wait, what?”   
                Max gave him the type of look that one gives a particularly stupid two year old. “Ames White is a Familiar from the Breeding Cult. Posing as a government official too.”   
                Sam cursed under his breath, and then offered Max his most sincere smile. “We’ve been following the Breeding Cult for some time. Different sources though. Had no idea Ames White was one of them.”  
                Max looked like she was going to say something else, but the sound of the door opening behind them drew her attention away.  And Sam had to take several deep breaths to keep his cool when his eyes settled on who came through the door.  
                Standing behind Max was an eerily close facsimile of Dean, though he couldn’t have been older than 22. After the initial shock of seeing a younger Dean show up behind him, he was able to take in the differences: 494 (who this had to be) was blonde unlike Dean’s brunette, his face was a little softer, and there were no freckles decorating his lighter skin. Finally, there were his eyes, which were green, but a yellow green, as if he had more of the panther in his eye coloring then Dean’s new body did. After taking another moment to look at him, Sam wondered how anyone could confuse them. However, all the staring had obviously made the man—boy—uncomfortable.  
                “Can I help you with something?”   
                Sam shook his head, and smiled, in his usual ‘ooh! Sorry’ way, and said “Sorry, it’s just…my brother and I knew they used his DNA in other X5’s, but, seeing one…it’s kinda weird.” 494 looked at Max, who shrugged, and then looked back at Sam.  
                “Aren’t you a bit old to be X5’s?”  
                “Yeah…about that…that’s a long story…my designation’s X5-113, though. Call me Sam. Sam Winchester.”   
                “Alec.” He took Sam’s hand, and gave him a smile. “You must be from the early ’98 group.” However, the hesitating ease that had come between the two of them suddenly broke again, when a loud laugh that could only be Dean’s reached Sam’s ears. He and Logan rounded the corner, Dean obviously doing his best to endear himself to the suspicious human. However, the noise also sparked Alec’s interest, and Dean took that moment to look up. Everyone fell silent and waited.  
                Then, as one, both of them yelled, “He looks nothing like me!”  
                “What?” Max asked, with a head bob that reminded Sam of Cassie for a moment.  
                “He’s blonde!” Dean whined at Sam, waving a hand.  
                “Can we say ‘shaving’?” Alec asked Max, gesturing vaguely towards Dean.  
                “And the-the clothes, the floppy hair—“  
                “I do  _not_  have  _spots_  on my nose—“  
                “He looks gay!”  
                “And the whole ‘Aragorn’ thing went—wait, what did you just call me?” And within two minutes of meeting each other, Alec and Dean were trying to kill each other. And for a good five minutes, Logan, Max and Sam just stood there and watched. Dean fought well as a human, with a kind of grace that was reminiscent of a fine whiskey: smooth until after he got around the guard, and then he got the target with a flurry of hits hard and fast. As a transgenic, Sam had never seen him go full out, where the comparison was even more striking. Alec moved like a panther, smooth, stalking. Trained…Bred. And Dean was good, their father had trained them the best he knew how, and he had 11 years of Manticore to build on. But Alec had far more training, nearly a decade more. Still, Alec was fighting mad, so they were pretty evenly matched, and it was like watching a thunderstorm from under a tree: beautiful, but not the best place to be.  
                And that’s when Sam and Max glanced at each other, nodded, and then waded in. Dean came up short when he realized Sam was inches away, and Alec threw his punch so wide when he realized Max was in his way that he overbalanced and ended up several feet away. “Dean, you called him gay. Don’t you dare say how he started it.” Sam warned, placing a hand on each of Dean’s shoulders, holding him back from going for Alec again.  
                Max, however, just stood in front of Alec with her hips cocked and her arms crossed. “Back off.”  
                “Fine.” He raised his gaze back to Dean. “You keep Butch away from me.”  
                “You stay the hell away from my sister.” Dean froze the minute he said it, And Alec stared at him for a long moment before letting out a resigned sigh.  
                “God, it’s like dealing with Zack all over again,” He said, looking pointedly at Max. “Now, who would your sister be?” Max aimed a swat at him, and Sam had to use a bit of his demon telekinesis to hold Dean back. But, Sam begrudgingly noted that Alec had totally gotten the last jab in: he knew damned well who Sam and Dean called their sister, Sam could tell by his earlier sigh, and that meant war.  
                The entire walk through the underground tunnels connecting the ‘abandoned’ building to Terminal City (under the massive coalition of National Guard, police and other assorted military), Dean alternated between glaring daggers at the back of Alec’s slightly shorter head and muttering about him under his breath. “Seriously, why are you so ready to kill that kid?” Sam whispered. He knew that Max and Alec could probably hear him (X5 hearing was generally better than a regular person, but Dean’s hearing was far better than his, so he figured it was different with every X5 as well), but he figured Dean not killing him was the better option.  
                “They get my dead body for genetic research, make me, but better. Then they make…Pretty Boy over there, and his twin that looked just like him. Seriously, why do they have to ‘improve’,” he even did the quote-y fingers, “everything? I got a hell of a lot of tail then, and I still would be getting it now if I wasn’t so worried about them seeing the damned barcode on my neck, but they had to make me look like some Backstreet Boy?”  
                “He isn’t you, Dean.”  
                “Whatever.” Sam wasn’t sure if Dean was missed because he felt it was a slight to his appearance, or he actually thought Alec was better looking than him, or that the government obviously chose all of their X5 DNA donors on good looks as well as talent, and felt objectified. On the other hand, this was Dean, and it could also be none of the above. When they got to the other end of the tunnel, Max walked out, followed by Logan, Alec hung back, seemingly holding the door open, waving them forward. However, as they passed, Sam distinctly heard him hum something that sounded suspiciously like “I Want It That Way”. Dean obviously heard it too, and shot Alec a glare that should have dropped him six feet under. Sam wasn’t sure what to be more surprised about, that Alec actually knew the song, or that  _Dean_  could recognize it.  
 **  
SEATTLE  
TERMINAL CITY CONTROL ROOM  
MAY 2021**  
  
                Sam had drawn the short straw.  It had been two days since they had gotten to Terminal City, and they had gotten set up in an apartment (apparently on the same floor as Max, Alec, and Keegan, but so far they had only seen Max once, and Keegan not at all) and then set out to explore the City. For a place that was nothing but an abandoned biohazard a year ago, it was certainly bustling now. Transgenics were designed for all sorts of field operations, including road building, and setting up shelter, and thus there was a tiny city developing within the police siege-ed contaminated zone. However, in their explorations, Alec had made a point of showing up everywhere they were, much to Sam’s amusement and Dean’s growing agitation. Sam wouldn’t go so far as to say he  _liked_  494, but the kid had a sense of humor, if baiting Dean was anyone’s idea of fun. But, it had also proved a point; a small group of transgenics knew about the Breeding Cult, and those willing to talk all said the same thing: “Talk to Alec. He’ll point you in the right direction.”  
                Apparently, Alec had to give some sort of clearance before anyone would talk about it. Made sense, seeing as everyone here was ex-military. But, seeing as Dean would just as likely pick a fight with Alec as actually ask for the information, Sam was up to bat.  So, he found himself in the Control Center of Terminal City, where Alec was watching tv and Max was pretending to be interested in some genetic papers nearby. The dog-boy, Joshua, was painting on a canvas across the hall, and Sam forced himself not to stare. He had seen some strange shit in his life, but these people were hard to get used to. He was used to hunting the different things, not living by them, buying his food from them. Shaking his head, he walked up to Alec. “We need info on these Breeding Cult guys.” Sam wasn’t surprised when Max stilled at the desk, and Alec glanced at him with a ‘So what?’ expression. “It’s really important.” Max shifted behind him, but Sam was focused on Alec, who had turned back to the tv.  
                “Oh yeah?” He said, sounding only mildly interested, “Why’s that?”  
                “Everyone says if you wanna know about it, ask Alec.” He didn’t miss the look that passed between Max and Alec.  
                “That’s not what I mean.” Sam cocked his head to the side, as Alec spun in his chair to face Sam. “What’s this ‘really important’,” he even did the quote-y fingers, and Sam half wondered if it was a genetic trait, “reason you need to know about the Breeding Cult?” And  _now_  he was staring at Sam like he was the most interesting thing in the world.  
                “Know your enemy.” He glanced at Max, and saw her look at Alec. He wasn’t prepared for Alec to shake his head, and Max to look back at him, frowning. “What?”  
                Alec was chuckling. “If you’re not gonna tell the truth, then don’t bother asking.”  
                “I’m telling the truth.”  
                “Oh, I know you need to ‘know your enemy’…but that isn’t everything, and you’re really sweet on hiding that part.” Alec leaned forward. “The Breeding Cult is systematically wiping us out. Now, you could be playing for them, and we’d be telling you everything. After all, ‘Know your enemy’.” And he smiled.  
                “Oh fuck that!” Everyone jumped, Joshua letting out a yelp that startled Sam even more. He really shouldn’t have been surprised that Dean had been lurking in the shadows. It _was_  Dean after all. “Why should we tell you shit?”  
                “Then why should we tell you?” Max demanded, leaping up. Joshua started growling. Sam knew this was going to turn into a full on brawl if  _something_  didn’t happen—  
                “Stop.” The looks on Max and Alec’s faces were priceless when they turned and realized that, out of nowhere, a sixth person had entered the room. From a place where there was no entrance. Castiel just stared them down impassively, and then turned his attention to Sam, nodding, and then, finally, on Dean. “I beg a little patience from you, Dean.”  
                Dean just threw up his hands, yelling “See? You show up, you want something, yeah well fuck you too!” And then, he sat down, on the floor, legs and arms crossed like a child in a temper tantrum. “Stupid fucking angels.” If he was planning on winning points with maturity, Sam was certainly not going to be the one to tell him he failed.  
                At that, Alec looked sharply back at Castiel. Max looked as well, but demanded, “Where the fuck did you come from?”  
                “Heaven.”  
                “Like I haven’t heard  _that_  pickup line a thousand times. Come on. Where did you come from?” Castiel raised an eyebrow.  
                “Heaven.”  
                “Buddy, it wasn’t funny the first time.”  
                “Max.” Alec, said, keeping his eyes on Castiel but tugging on Max’s sleeve.  
                “It seriously wasn’t! I want to know how this mother got in—“  
                “Max.”  
                “—so I can kick his ass and make sure he never can get in that way again!”  
                “ _Max!_ ” She finally looked back at Alec, who was now glaring at her.  
                “What?”  
                “He’s  _not lying_.” He hissed. Max paused, open mouthed.  
                “Oh.” And then she sat down. “Oh.”  
                “I am an angel of the Lord. My name is Castiel. You’ve already met my wards, Sam and Dean. They are on a mission from my Father, and need your help.”  
                Sam stared at Castiel for a moment before shaking his head and laughing mirthlessly. “Wow, just ease them into it.”  
                “At least he didn’t try to make their ears bleed and their head explode.” Dean muttered from his spot on the floor. Castiel ignored him, choosing instead to look around the room, peering carefully at Max, resting a hand on Joshua’s shoulder and giving him an encouraging smile, before looking at Alec. Alec, who refused to meet his gaze.   
                “I am in a human vessel. Why do you not look?”  
                “Who knows if we even have souls.” Alec swallowed hard, refusing to look at anyone then. “And you’re kinda overwhelming me a little bit.”  
                “You were made empathic.” Alec nodded, still not looking at him. “And you already know the answer.”  
                “Cryptic, as always, Cas what the hell do you want?” Dean said, standing up. Castiel turned and looked at Dean carefully.  
                “I told you I was to monitor the situation between the transgenics and humans closely, Dean.” Castiel said, slowly turning away from the trembling Alec. “My Father does not want any of his children dying needlessly.”  
                Sam nodded and tapped Dean on the shoulder, holding him back from questioning the orders. Now wasn’t the time for their questions…and, after a moment when Dean actually  _looked_  at Max, at Joshua, even Alec, he saw what Sam meant. It was one thing to live in a world where the people who created you did horrible things to you and think ‘hey, that’s life’. But angels? He could just imagine that—after being forced to assassinate, forced to kill, because you thought it was the only way, because you were trained that way—you find out that angels, and by default God, exist? That there  _was_  a higher power out there, and all this bad shit happened? Dean had been there himself. He found himself actually  _feeling_  for Alec at the moment. Damn Sam and his girly moments.  
                However, aside from Joshua asking if he could see Cas’s wings (which Castiel obliged, surprisingly enough), Max and Alec didn’t ask anything. Max he could understand, she had already proved her tough girl act more than once, but Alec had proven several times that he thought like Dean, and Dean knew  _he’d_  be itching to have answers. And then Alec looked over at Dean, and glanced away just as quickly. He wasn’t asking because he already knew.  
                Anger bubbled up, and Dean felt his hands clench into fists at his sides. “Did she tell you?”  
                Alec looked back at him coolly, ignoring the looks he was getting from Max. “What?”  
                “Did. She. Tell. You.”  
                “You mean, did your sister, who you threw out on her ass because she was having a hard time  _dealing_  with the fact she wasn’t the being she had been for the past four centuries tell me, the X5 operative trained of covert operations including data retrieval who also has the  _infallible_  ability to tell if people are lying, tell me  _why_  she was dying? No. I only had to save her life first.” He went expressionless, and Dean felt his blood chill a little. There was the Manticore soldier  _he_  could have been. “Because you weren’t there.”  
                The comment was meant to sting, and Dean felt the full bite. The kid was  _good_ , he’d give him that. Castiel made a noise that could have been mistaken for a laugh. “This is not helping.”  
                “Sorry, Cas.” Sam said, clearly expecting Dean to start yelling if he opened his mouth.  
                “Well, what can we do to help?” That was from Max, who had stepped closer now that Castiel was deemed ‘safe’ and Alec and Dean weren’t throwing verbal jabs across the room.  
                “Stop the cult. Stop their plague.”  
                “Stop the—hey! Where did he go?” Max looked around frantically, and Dean and Sam did too, mostly out of habit.  
                “He tends to do that. I think he flies, but the minute he takes flight, he’s not perceivable to mortal eyes.” Sam said.  
                Max nodded, still looking like she was unsure of the whole situation. “If we’re going to fill you in on the Breeding Cult, we’re gonna need Keegan. She has some theories, or so Alec says…” She looked to Alec.  
                “Keegan refused to tell them about her theories until you guys got here and gave her the all clear.” Alec said, before staring down Dean again. “She’s not a traitor.”  
                “I know.” Dean and he shared a long look, and both of them nodded. Sam and Max shared a look and shrugged.  
                “Keegan’s on a supply run, right?” Max asked, settling herself onto one of the chairs by the surveillance monitors.  
                “Yeah, with Gem and baby Eve. Gem’s been wanting to get off base for a while, and you know Keegan has a nifty way of getting people out of trouble.” Alec said, walking back over to the chair he had started the night in, and grabbing his leather jacket off it.  
                “She couldn’t do that before.” Sam said, raising an eyebrow, and glancing at Dean.  
                “Eh, she had a theory, tested the theory, and ended up better off. She can explain it better. I’ll grab her and Gem.” Alec shot them a cocky smile before heading down the stairs and out the door. Joshua gave a barking laugh (Dean made his ‘what the fuck?’ face but quickly hid it), and Max instantly perked up.  
                “What’s so funny, Big Fella?”  
                “Alec…” He gave the laugh again, and this time, Dean couldn’t help but crack a smile. It was kinda infectious, the guy’s laugh. “Alec likes Eve. He coos and plays wit…wit her.” Joshua had a huge smile on his face, and Dean burst out laughing. So did Max. “What?”  
                “Just…Alec with a baby…that’s…strangely adorable.” Max said, looking a little surprised.  
                Joshua laughed again. “Ha! Medium Fella ah-dorable!”  
                Dean raised his eyebrows. “Hey, I wouldn’t go as far as that…he  _is_  a soldier after all…and a guy.”  
                “And looks like you. And you  _couldn’t possibly_  be worried that they might associate you with ‘adorable’.” Sam whispered, stepping closer. Dean just kept smiling, and stomped on Sam’s foot.   
  
 **  
LOCATION UNKNOWN  
STOP TIME**  
  
                “I would like you to explain this.”  
                “It was a tactical exposure, intended to aid the Chosen Dean and Samuel in there endeavor to stop the Familiars and thus the comet and the plague.”  
                “…You really felt that was necessary.” It wasn’t a question, and the voice was tired.  
                “These children have not had reason to believe in a Higher Power other than a commanding officer for their entire lives.”  
                A pause…and then almost…praise, “You truly understand the children who are your wards. It is sad that it is the reason you will not rise above this choir.”  
                “I love my work, as I love my Father. I do not question His Will.”  
                “Very good, Castiel. Blessed are the Meek.”  
  
 **SEATTLE**  
TERMINAL CITY  
MAY 2021  
  
                “So…um…” Keegan looked nervous. Dean knew it was his fault, but damnit if he could choke out anything that didn’t sound as lame as ‘I’m sorry I tossed you out when you probably needed support’ and that also qualified as a chick flick moment so whatever came out of his mouth would be better. But what  _had_  come out was a tight ‘Hi, Keegan’…which had probably sent the wrong impression.  
                “Keely, it’s a good theory…I think. I mean, I’m not an expert on that stuff.” Alec said, laying a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a ‘oh, thanks’ look, and he gave her shoulder a pat and sat up.  
                “Azazel didn’t just chose random babies on their six month birthdays to bleed on, right? He planned it, chose the parents…selectively bred the babies first. To me, that suggests that demon blood isn’t compatible with just anyone. Now, we also know that the Breeding Cult selectively breeds, and then their spawn have to pass a test: they get infected with the blood of this snake and if they survive, they are ‘strong’. Super strength and can’t feel pain. What if Sandman, the guy who started Manticore, somehow put demon blood in our cocktail? I mean, it would explain why Sam could use his powers, and even why I can use powers that have a base in paranormal rather than nature…right?” She looked hopeful, very hopeful.  
                Sam and Dean shared a look. “That’s excellent.” Dean said, glancing back at Sam, “I’m right, excellent right?” Keegan looked relieved, and finally gave a small smile.  
                “We also know that transgenics—all transgenics—are immune to the blood that these freaks infect their children with…and by that logic, the ‘plague’ that they and your angel friend mentioned.” Max said, leaning back so that the front legs of her chair were off the ground. Sam made his thinking face (Dean always thought he looked more confused than in thought) and then sat up straighter.  
                “Dean. Croatoan.”  
                “The weirdo demon virus?” Dean knew his face paled. “You mean the one that you were immune to because of your demon blood back when you were…well…as normal as you got? Oh, fuck me.” He shook his head. “A cult following a demon of pestilence. I highly doubt it’ll be Croatoan, cause the whole comet thing doesn’t fit his M.O….or the snakes…eesh. So you know what this means, Sammy.”  
                Sam sighed. “Research.”  
                “Yahtzee.” Dean said, slapping a hand on the table. Keegan groaned and let her head hit the table with a soft thump.  
                Max and Alec looked between the three of them like they had all started speaking in gibberish. “Research?” Alec said, laughing incredulously, “What's so bad about research?”  
                “The Pulse whipped out most of the online media we could utilize. And tracking down those books…whoo.” Dean shook his head. “Not fun. Especially since most of the people who have them, aren’t gonna wanna part with them.”  
                “Ok,  _why_  research then? We can do recon…” Max trailed off, watching Keegan, Dean and Sam all shake their heads sadly. “What?”  
                “The cult people are bad enough, but they’re human. We have to go after the demon itself.” Sam said. “And for that, we need to know its name, know what it wants, then we can find a way to summon it, trap it and exorcise it.” He received blank looks. “This isn’t something you can just take on. They can bleed you from the inside out without ever touching you. And this one is feeding off a millennia of cult followers worshiping it and feeding it. This is big. And it’s not something they trained you for at Manticore.”  
                Max looked to Alec, who shrugged. “Hey, I know very little about it. Keely said it was her deal, and demons were done.” He looked back at Sam and Dean. “I’ve been out of training for too long, anyway. Time for Demons 101.”  


**OPERATION HEADQUARTERS**  
MAY 2021  
  
 _Beginning negative Media Warfare. Hopes that fear will drive the general population to panic have more than succeeded expectations._

  
  
**SEATTLE**  
SECTOR 7  
JUNE 2021  
  
                “ _Jesus_ , Johanna Beth, where  _did_  you learn how to dive like that?” Ellen was clinging onto the handle over the passenger side door, face white, and looking like she was about to be sick. Jo, however, looked perfectly content behind the wheel, and had navigated the streets in their little jeep with one hand on the wheel, the other tapping the car in rhythm to the beat on the worn out radio.  
                “Come on, Mom, I wasn’t even speeding.” She replied, staring up at the building with trepidation. “This looks horrible, are you sure this is the right address?”  
                “Of course.” Ellen, though, also looked up at the building with worry, until her phone beeped. She flipped it open, and glanced at the message: _Caught u on the cam. @ right place. Go inside. Meet u there._

Well, that was good enough for her.  
  
***

 

                “Hey, hold up a minute.” Keegan, Alec and Dean slowed to a halt, looking at Sam. “I think Dean, Kee, and I should go out first.”  
                Alec pretended to look offended, and quipped, “It’s because I’m a clone. I knew it. You’re a racist one, Sammy.” Sam gave a frustrated sigh and shook his head.  
                “Dean, I think you know why.” Dean, however, just raised an eyebrow, looking mildly confused. “Oh, come on!”  
                “What?” Alec asked, looking interested, if slightly put out.  
                “Yeah, seriously, dude, what are you talking about?”

                Sam let out a frustrated growl, now. “ _Remember_  the  _first_  time we saw Jo, right after we woke up?”   
                Dean’s eyes widened as he remembered Jo’s open-mouthed stare, and the almost over-the-top flirting that ensued until Ellen and Jo had moved on a week later. He then looked back at Alec.  
                “Oh come on…I would think the fact I suddenly have the equivalent of a bad funhouse double would be more of a shock.” Dean glanced back at Alec. “Besides, he looks nothing like me then.”  
                “Now I really wanna know.” Alec said, looking excited.

                Keegan just sighed and shook her head.  “Alec, stay.”  
                “But…wait…I…” He made a face like a kicked puppy, “Oooh.” Dean smirked at him and mimicked a whip crack as he walked by. Alec gave him a vaguely miffed look (one he often used when Max took advantage of the fact he wouldn’t  _really_  fight her) and followed them to the tunnel’s end. “I’ll wait in the basement, shall I?”  
                “Stop whining.” Dean shot back, looking over his shoulder. Alec’s gaze lingered a tad too long on Keegan, and Dean forced himself to look away before anyone noticed he was being a protective older brother again. It wasn’t something he wanted to occupy his mind with, so he gave his head a quick shake to clear it, and moved on.  
                It was a good thing that Alec had waited, because Jo basically tackled Dean in a hug when she saw him. And he had to admit, while she did look older (she had to be turning thirty-six now), her smile made the spunky twenty-one year old that had socked Dean in the face come flying back. She gave an equally exuberant hug to Sam, and Keegan too, yelping an “I’ve missed you!”, but then her expression darkened, and she punched Dean on the arm. “You never wrote!”  
                “It hasn’t been easy, Jo.” Sam said, as Dean mouthed ‘ow’ and rubbed his arm. “Hey, Mama Ellen.” Sam’s face split into a wide grin as he hugged the closest surrogate he had to a mother. More hugs went around, and after plenty of half-felt apologies for forgetting to write, and assurances that they were ok, Sam then said, “Hey guys, there’s someone we’d like you to meet.”  
                As if Alec had been waiting for his cue, he stepped into the living room. “Hey. I’m Alec.” And he flashed his charmers grin.  
                For a second, Ellen and Jo both stared, it was the most common reaction whenever Dean and Alec entered the same room, and then Ellen said. “Alec, nice to meet you. I’m Ellen Harvelle, and this is my daughter, Jo. You’ve met my adopted kids.” She held out her hand, and he shook it, smiling in relief.  
                “Nice to meet you.” Jo said, but it was in a strained voice, and she was glancing between Dean and Alec, as if she was cataloging the differences between them. Then she smiled, and also offered her hand, and Alec shook it, giving her a wink. She gave a little laugh and rolled her eyes. Alec looked slightly surprised, but hid it quickly. Dean couldn’t help but smirk; apparently Alec may be just as attractive as Dean, but he didn’t have _something_  Jo was looking for. And that made Dean laugh…to himself.  
                “Down to business.” He said, to cover his smirk. “You guys get the books?”  
                Ellen reached under one of the smaller side tables and pulled out a backpack. “Do you know how much wrangling it took for me to get these? I had to drop the Winchester name a few times, and you know I hate leavin’ a trail like that.” She passed the books over to Sam, who immediately opened the backpack and started checking the titles.  
                “Oh, this is great, Ellen, thanks.” The obvious excitement in Sam’s voice made Ellen smile.  
                “Shucks, son, you know its nothin’. Put us up for the night, and we’ll call it even.”  
                “Done, and done.” Alec said, laying down a key ring complete with keys on the coffee table, next to a manila envelope. “These are the keys to the apartment upstairs.” He said, holding up two gold keys, “There’s one for each of you. The little silver ones are to the garage, the one with the black thing on it is for the building proper—your key code will be 7548—and now to  _these_ ” he held up the manila folder. “Sector passes, you got here as guests, but you won’t be able to use that for too long. All your documentation for the police in case you get stopped, they’re done by the same guy we use, they’ll hold up, and some cash, cause I know you guys traveled like hell to get here, and you’re gonna need supplies and things.” He smiled at them again and stood, tapping Keegan on the shoulder. “We got supply duty in twenty. And we’re expecting some out of townies today—transhumans.” Keegan sighed.  
                “Damnit.” The two quickly said their goodbyes, and headed back down the tunnels. That left Sam and Dean with Ellen and Jo, and a lot of questions.  
                “I take it you found the other transgenics.” Jo said, finally. The absurdity of her statement broke the tension in the room and they all burst out laughing. “Are you guys staying here?” Sam shook his head. “Why can’t we stay with you?”  
                “You couldn’t spend a lot of time in Terminal City. We’re in the process of cleaning it up, but there’s a lot of biohazards and radiation in there. Besides, Logan Cale, one of Eyes Only’s sources, lives here. He’s an Ordinary and he’s been big on the transgenics have rights movement.”  
                “Wow. This is so much better organized than the hunters ever were.” Jo remarked.  
                “This is relatively small, though, Jo. I mean, this is just humans learning to accept a new race of people into the world. We can organize because we’re all coming from the same background, more or less…and nowhere else to go. What hunters face…we have no way of mobilizing on this scale…of doing this. We need anonymity. We were fighting in a war where Earth was the prize, and either the Hell walked it, or Heaven continued to let us be. Hunters were never taught how to be a unit…a bit too solo to be…” He looked at Dean, and Dean looked back. “Don’t say it, Jerk.”  
                “Say what, Bitch?” Dean stood. “Anyway, I’m gonna head back, because I drew the short straw on watches, and get the graveyard shift. Mess up Pretty Boy’s hair when you get a chance.” And with that Dean headed back towards the tunnels, towards sleep, and a little quiet before what he felt in his bones was the storm. Let Sam play house and catch up with Ellen and Jo; let Alec and Keegan pretend they were fooling anyone but themselves; tonight, he was going to get some honest to god sleep, and pretend everything was normal again.


	7. Chapter 7

**OUTSKIRTS OF SEATTLE**  
JUNE 2021  
  
                “So, what exactly are we investigating here?” Sam made a ‘shh’ noise, and Dean just smacked Alec on the back of his head. They were in an abandoned house in what used to be a suburb of Seattle, where more and more reports of missing people were being reported. That wasn’t unusual in post-Pulse America, people got killed for the smallest reasons now, but then rumors started trickling in of transgenics disappearing. It took a lot to take down a transgenic, especially when Terminal City kept a close watch on where all of White’s (known) people were when they could. This area was clean, which led Dean and Sam to take a closer look. With Ellen and Jo currently bonding with Original Cindy and Sketchy on food and supply shopping in Seattle proper, Sam had suggested that they grab Terminal City’s second in command for a little ‘real life’ Hunters 101. Dean had argued that there wasn’t even enough evidence to point to something supernatural. Sam had countered that they had gone on the road for less. Dean had reminded him that, again, that had been  _before_  the Pulse. Sam had just hounded on him until the they got to the library (Alec in tow), and found that X5’s had been trained in research and (later in life) speed reading, making the entire event go that much faster. That, and Alec found the newspaper clipping mentioning the post-Pulse serial murderer who had resided just outside of Seattle in the ‘Colorful History’ section of some librarian’s scrapbook on display. The things they taught those kids to use as research materials…  
                This guy had offered recently homeless people shelter, only to string them up in their sleep. The police had taken him out without a trial, never bothering to find out  _why_.  
                “Lesson one, violent deaths can definitely cause spirits to stick around. Usually, a Reaper will attempt to drag you away to the afterlife—“  
                “Unless you’re Dean, and you try to fight the Reaper—“  
                “Shuddup. But those who stick around, they tend to go insane. They get violent.”  
                Alec had his hand raised. Dean tried very hard not to be annoyed by it. “How can something incorporeal ‘get violent’?”, he asked, using quote-y fingers. Dean and Sam shared a look.  
                “How can Keegan teleport? Or throw you against walls?”  
                “So they’re telekinetic with knowledge of metaphysics. Why?” He looked genuinely interested, but Dean was damned sure the kid was being a smartass on purpose.  
                “Damnit, Alec, why do you have to know why? We don’t know why salt works so well, but it does, so we use it!”

                This time, Sam gave Dean a look. “Salt is purity. Its natural, and usually found in water—another pure substance—and thus rejects the impurity of the spirits.”

                Dean just glared at Sam. “Encyclopedia of Weirdness.”  
                “Wait.” Both of them stopped their bickering to look at Alec, who was frowning. “So, does that mean ‘good’ spirits can cross salt? They’re not ‘impure’, are they?”  
                And they paused. “Huh.” Dean mused, looking mildly confused. Sam had a similar expression. “I know salt does nothing to angels…but I’ve never met a good spirit aside from Mom, but…it wasn’t like we had time to test the theory.”  
                Alec’s face lit up. “Can we?”  
                Dean looked mildly alarmed. “Dude, you are way too excited about the prospect of testing that.” Alec’s face darkened, and Sam could have sworn he heard him mutter ‘as if you’re not’. But he returned to his research. However, the murderer, identified as Norman Jensen, had no records of being buried. Sam and Dean had exhausted all of their resources, even calling in markers from Logan, but coming up short on what happened to the man’s corpse.  
                Alec, surprisingly, came through again. “Manticore operatives were deployed during the direct aftermath of the Pulse—I’m not talking about X4’s or X5’s, we were all way too young, and they were still putting most of us through Simplification and Reindoctrination then…” He gave a little shudder that they both could relate to, “but I  _do_  know that a bunch of X3’s were sent out for data retrieval. Some of the reports that came back…they were gruesome. I’m betting the cops left the body where it was, and that was that. They sealed it up, and considered their job done. After all, why take the time and man power to bury a body when you’ve got civilians killing each other for food, power and shelter?”  
                He had a fair point. Dean was starting to question exactly what people meant when they said he had ‘hunting in his blood’. Thus, not an hour later, they were creeping through what used to be Norman Jensen’s house, Dean having more fun than he should be smacking the back of Alec’s head, and trying to find where the body could have been.  
                “Shouldn’t we smell it?” Dean asked after a moment, peering around the corner with the EMF reader in hand. Sam and Alec shared a look at that.  
                “It’s been twelve years, the body’s probably mummified.” Sam said, peering up the darkened staircase. He was using his telescopic vision, but as far as his night vision could tell, nothing was moving. “It’s going to be a long night if we don’t split up.”  
                “Yeah? Well I don’t wanna lose Pretty Boy over here because he forgot you can’t hit a ghost.” Dean snapped, jerking a thumb in Alec’s direction.  
                “You know, for telling me to shut up, you guys are making a lot of noise.”  
                “Shut up!” The two yelled in unison.  
                Alec jerked a step backwards. “Sor-rey.” He muttered. And then he shivered. Which was insane; his body ran at a 101.4º Fahrenheit, he shouldn’t be getting cold in June, in Seattle. He breathed out, and his breath fogged. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on edge and he felt the distinct urge to hiss and snarl. “Hey…guys…”  
                Dean huffed. “Didn’t we just—“ It felt like ice grabbed his shoulder, and then… Alec wasn’t standing in the hallway anymore.   
                Sam and Dean stood there for a less than a fraction of a second, before they started calling his name at the top of their lungs.  
                “Sam! Dea—“ His voice cut out, and they were left in silence.  
                “He sounded like he was downstairs.” Sam said, cocking his head to the side. Dean shook his head.  
                “You know, it’s always the attic or the basement with these whackos. And the serial killers? Always the basement. Why the basement? Because they’re crazy. Which makes me feel stupid because that should have been the first place we checked!” Dean spun and made his way back towards the kitchen, pumping the sawed-off to load the round of rock salt and ripping open the door to the basement. It slammed shut on his fingers barely after he opened it. However, the noise definitely attracted the attention of Alec, who had started a running litany at the sound of Dean’s “Holy fucking shit!”  
                “You sorry piece of shit, get away from—ow! Mother fucker! Yeah, if I wasn’t tied up with…is this clothesline? Seriously? You think clothesline is gonna hold—ow! Will you stop with the fucking knife! Ow! Dean, I hear you up there, hurry up and get this lame ass nineties reject! Ow! What the hell, man?”  
                “Was that Alec?” Sam asked, coming up behind him. Dean nodded, cradling his smashed fingers with his face red, holding in the monologue of curses he was longing to throw. “Why haven’t you gotten the door open?” Dean just gave him a look, and held up his injured hand. “Oh.”  
                “Yeah.” Sam then gestured for Dean to move, then closed his eyes. Dean hastily jumped backwards. The door gave a twitch. It bent in the frame. Then, as if Sam had grabbed the center of the wood and  _twisted_  it spun in on itself, and pulled itself towards the two of them. It skidded to a stop just in front of Sam. Dean raised his eyebrows, but gave his injured had one more shake before using it to steady the front of the sawed-off. Sam followed just behind him. Alec had stopped talking. Neither one of them thought it was a good sign.  
                Dean went first, utilizing his Manticore given stealth capabilities (as much as he could figure them, anyway), while Sam followed, almost as silently behind him. Of course, like all homes, the layout was impractical for an invasion or tactical retreat. The stairs ended with a wall, forcing them to step down before turning. And when they turned, Dean cursed under his breath, and Sam put a hand on the railing to steady himself.  
                Alec was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. That shouldn’t have been a problem for the extremely dexterous X5 who had gotten out of more than his fair share of restraints, but the ropes  _glowed_  to their vision; they weren’t physical at all. Sam vaguely wondered if they would have seen them at all, had they not been ‘enhanced’. His head was flopped limply against his chest, and there were gouges and cuts all along his arms and chest. His shirt was torn apart, and there were even more marks that looked almost like brands. Upon closer inspection, they were hand prints burned onto his skin. Littered about his chair, circling around his feet, were bodies. All of them in varying stages of decomposition, some obviously transhuman, others only discernable as transgenics by the barcode on their necks, others just human. There were too many skeletons pushed against the far walls to count.  
                “This has been going on a long time.” Dean said, eyes sweeping the room for Norman, making sure there wasn’t going to be a nasty ghost surprise for him. Sam moved immediately for Alec, reaching out to touch the ropes—  
                “Don’t fucking touch me!” Alec’s head snapped up and his leg shot out, aiming for Sam’s knee, but the angle was wrong, and he caught his shin instead. Sam still went down; Alec was as strong as Dean, and Sam’s ‘contaminated’ DNA had muted the strength and endurance that his brother and brother’s clone had.  
                “Fuck, Alec, it’s me!” Alec’s eyes cleared, and he looked down at Sam (his face had obviously gotten the brunt of the beating), and gave him a sheepish half smile.  
                “Sorry, couldn’t smell you. Too much fucking decay.” He aimed another kick, but this time at one of the corpses around his chair.   
                Dean had finished his lap around the room, and walked back to the center, back to Alec, and glanced at Sam. “You Ok?”  
                “I’m good.”  
                “ _I’ve_  been a helluva lot better.”

                Dean ignored Alec. “Can you get the ropes undone?”

                Sam reached out for the oddly glowing ropes, and tugged. The knot wouldn’t budge. He reached into his pocket, favoring his  _really_  sore leg, and pulled out his knife. The ropes wouldn’t cut. “Negative.”  
                “I was wondering why I couldn’t get out.” Alec sighed, and then stomped on the ground, eyes going wide and expression darkening. Sam looked up at him, noticed he was staring straight ahead, and followed his gaze.  
                “Oh shit!” Without Alec’s warning, Sam wouldn’t have dodged the blow the ghost of Norman Jensen aimed at him. Dean spun, and fired a round of rock salt into the ghost. It evaporated, leaving them alone…for now.  
                Alec was looking at them with raised eyebrows. “I really didn’t think that would work.” Dean smacked him in the back of the head, now pumping the shotgun to expel the spent round.  
                “Sam, circle of salt.”  
                “Already on it.”  
                “I’d rather you get on getting me out of these ropes.” That earned Alec another slap to the back of his head. “Hey, I was just tortured by a fucking ghost!”  
                “And we’re not done yet! So shut up!” Dean was so tempted to give him another whack, but looking at Alec’s rather beaten, sliced up and generally abused body, he decided not to. Damnit, the damned kid was  _seriously_ growing on him. “Sammy, wanna try using your freaky powers to undo the ropes while I start piling up corpses?”   
                Sam nodded, and the only person who didn’t seem to like the idea was Alec, who immediately sputtered: “What if he unties me instead?”  
                “What do you think I’ve been doing the past twelve years, jerking off?” However, neither Alec nor Dean could stop the snort that slipped past their lips. Sam rolled his eyes. “Not nearly as much as you, Dean, you’re a fucking horn ball. And I’d assume the same is true for you, Alec.”  
                “Not so much. Manticore had me on birth control meds till last year, when they started the breeding program. Then the only action I got was getting kicked to the wall by Max, who didn’t like the idea of ‘copulation’.” He then smirked, feeling the ropes loosen on his arms, as Sam presumably ‘did his thing’. “Though, I  _did_  learn that we’re apparently  _very_ well endowed according to Ordinaries, but they’re not much fun.”  
                “Never been a problem for me.” Dean muttered, pulling a rather squishy fish-man to the top of the pile he had constructed in the corner (also ringed by salt), and then dumped even more salt on the body. He was a little surprised by Alec’s snicker, and looked up, seeing Sam coiling the ghost rope (it  _could_  come in handy, a rope that could only be used by psychics) and Alec rubbing his wrists before popping a dislocated shoulder back in with  _far_  too much casualness.  
                “You guys, you’re lucky, I guess. You have your memories and thoughts about what you were like before you became X5. When you’re…having awesome sex with an ordinary—I’m going out on a limb and assuming women, right?” That earned him a smack from Sam “Hey, had to be sure. Well, you remember what you used to do, and do it. Your  _body_ remembers what you used to do, and does it. You weren’t prepared for covert, deep cover missions with an entire course on how we had to ‘play nice’ if we got invited into someone’s bed, because we could actually kill them. I’ve played with normal women, and I have to hold back too much. I kinda envy you.” The last part was said quietly, as if he hadn’t really wanted to admit that part.  
                However, it did prompt Dean to ask, “I thought you were with Keegan?” Sam looked up sharply from the body he had been dragging over, and watched the two.  
                Alec looked very meek. He mumbled something that, only thanks to Dean’s hearing and Sam’s proximity, could be translated as “we’re just friends”.  
                Dean looked slightly surprised. Sam cleared his throat. “Right, moving on…”  
                “How do we know which one is ole Jensen?” Alec asked, reaching down to grab an ordinary, hauling it up so it wouldn’t disturb the salt lines.  
                “Well…” Sam started, tossing the body he had been dragging onto the pile, “We don’t. At least, not till we get all of these burned, and see if the ghost gets pissed.”  
                Alec dropped the body. “Wait, we have to burn them?” Sam and Dean shared a look.  
                “Yeah…is that a problem?” Dean asked. Alec actually backed away. “Sam, come on, help me out here.”  
                Sam looked worried. “Alec, what’s wrong…”  
                “Nothing, nothing. Let’s just…get them all piled up.” And he fell silent, just picking up the body he had dropped, and literally throwing it onto the pile. It landed with a wet and sickening thump.  
                By the time they had gathered up all the bodies, they were able to make out more of the room…including a closet off to the side, whose door had been blackened to match the walls with mildew and blood. After a quick game of rock-paper-scissors (Dean chose scissors, so Sam automatically countered with his usual rock, and did not expect Alec’s paper, which led to confusion before they realized that they had to eliminate someone first), Dean opened the door. And out fell Normal Jensen…or what was left of his mummified corpse. Dean was tense, expecting, waiting for Norman to pop out like all vengeful spirits inevitably did, but there was nothing. They put his corpse aside, salt and burned it first (Alec had disappeared first, with that blurring speed they only used in emergencies), before moving to the other, considerably larger pile.  
                By the time they made it outside, they saw Alec being violently ill by the bushes. “Hey, hey, hey, man you ok?”  
                “Get off me!” Alec swung at him, but was off balance, and missed Dean completely, bending over again, and retching before spitting. “Don’t touch me.”  
                “What’s wrong?” Sam asked, stepping closer. Alec glared at him.  
                Dean tried again. “Dude, seriously, you can’t bottle this shit up.”  
                “Thanks, Psy-Ops.” He went green again, and dropped to his hands and knees. Dean knelt next to him, rubbing his back. Alec only made a half-hearted attempt to brush him off; he was too busy emptying his stomach, again.   
                An hour later, they were sitting on an overgrown lawn a couple of abandoned houses away, and Sam had pulled out some beers from the Impala. Alec looked a lot younger than twenty two just then, and both Sam and Dean felt the need to make sure he got through this. “Back in… in September…when Manticore went down…” Alec took another swig of his beer. “…It wasn’t an outside job.  As soon as Max hit the switch on Eyes Only’s broadcast, they gave the order.” He gave a mirthless laugh. “I guess I always knew we were expendable…” His eyes got a faraway look, and it took a long moment before he spoke again. “I made it to the barracks perimeter fence after the fire had started. They…they locked all of them in.” He bit back a chocked noise that could have been a sob. “We were trained not to care, especially after they figured out that the ‘family’ bond Max’s unit had was what triggered the escape. But…” He sighed.  
                “But what?” Dean prompted, unable to keep his mouth shut. Sam elbowed him, and gave an encouraging nod to Alec.  
                Alec just stared off into the distance, probably thinking back to that day. “Max went in to let them out. There were X7s and guards shooting at us from the towers…” He looked back at the ground again. “Not all of us got out. And the smell…” he looked vaguely like he was going to be sick again. “The ones who didn’t get out? They were burned alive.” He shuddered, and then tipped back his beer, downing the rest of it in one shot.  
                Sam and Dean shared a look. They knew what that smell was—Dean had been four the first time he had smelled it, and it had been his mother, Sam’s was more recent: he had been twenty two and it had been Jess, but this was their job.  
                “You know, you don’t have to do this. You can just work on the demon cult info stuff.” Sam said, trying to sound reassuring. Alec shook his head.  
                “No.” Alec looked up at Dean, catching his gaze and holding it. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this to anyone before, aside from getting mind-fucked, but that doesn’t count, I’ve always felt like I’ve got...nothin’. What am I doing here but…trying to play ‘nice former assassin’ with a bunch of people who want me dead cause I’m…well…me? When you guys brought me out with you…it felt…right. I’m a bred killer…but who said that it wasn’t already in my blood?” Dean felt a swell of pride.  
                They took down two more spirits in the Seattle area that week. Alec salted and burned the last corpse on his own.  
  
 ****  
OPERATION HEADQUARTERS  
LATE JUNE 2021  
  
 _Bizarre occurrences outside of Seattle. Smoke reported to local fire response teams. Samples of burned material included transgenic DNA as well as Human. Sending a team to investigate_

  
****  
TERMINAL CITY  
JULY 2021  
  
                “And that just about does it.” Ellen said, wiping of her hands on a rag. In front of her was a hand painted sign (courtesy of Joshua) that proclaimed ‘TC Diner, All Welcome’, and had the transgenic flag and the American flag crossing each other. Ellen and Jo had quite quickly gotten fed up with being away from ‘their kids’ and brow beat Logan into letting them into Terminal City in the first place. After getting over the shock that there were a LOT of transgenics (and transhumans, which were a definite eye opener), they had quickly rounded up a group of transgenics who seemed to have nothing to do. And thus, Ellen became ‘Mama Ellen’ once again, and directed her little band into cleaning up a section of the city relatively close to the borders of Seattle proper, determined to make it ‘everyone friendly’ as she put it, and started to work at making it a home. She even managed to convince a member of the Health Department to come in and officially clear the area for ‘ordinaries’, and later on, for food service.  
                Jo, in between helping her mother and the group of mismatched transgenics set up the soon to be diner, had started spending a lot of time with Sketchy, and started helping put the word out for GOOD in the P.R. war that was raging on television stations around the world. She had a big hand in the Pro-Transgenic rally, supported by some left wing Seattle residents and almost all the members of S1W that was put on in front of city hall, and led to a decreased military presence at the borders.  
                A week later, Max had been able to negotiate an uneasy peace, allowing transgenics not only basic rights, but free passage into Seattle for supplies and excursions if they wanted, but a curfew of 6 pm to be back in Terminal City. A couple days later, they received permits for building their own ‘official’ residences, stores and restaurants.  That didn’t stop ignorant people from trying to start fights, or anti-transgenic propaganda from being circulated on the tv and radio, but it helped. And currently, they were celebrating their first publicly accessible business: Ellen’s pet diner.  
                “Now, what do you all have to do?”  
                “Be polite, respectful, and clean.” The group chorused back, making Ellen smile.  
                “To…?”  
                “Everyone. Ordinary included.”  
                “That’s my kids.” She jumped off the bar stool, her bones protesting at the action, and ruffled Gem’s hair, before giving Harry, a transhuman who was made along the same lines as Mole, an affectionate pat on the head. By the time she got to the middle of the group, it seemed like there was an unspoken agreement. As one, all of them enveloped her in one big, multicolored hug of scales, fur, skin and hair. And Ellen couldn’t help but tear up a little bit at the emotions. “Ok, ok, enough of this mushy stuff. Where’s Jo? We got a camera crew outside, a food critic waiting, and a whole group of hungry people waiting to be served. And remember, no one under eighteen touches the alcohol, and certainly no one in this bar drinks if they’re under twenty one. We gotta keep their laws, kids.”  
                There were a few “Awww”s but everyone smiled. And, they all hurried off to make ready for their first day. Ellen grabbed a cloth from the counter, and started wiping off her footprints from the stool.  
                “You’ve done a great job here.” Ellen spun, surprised. Max was right behind her. “Sorry.”  
                “Aw, it’s all right. Here, you wanna sit for a spell? Drinks are on the house for our leader.” She said, smiling. Max returned it, and did sit, watching as Ellen made her way behind the  
counter to the liquor. “What can I get ya?”  
                “Beer’s fine.” Max said. She hesitated, and then looked at Ellen again, accepting the bottle gratefully. “Why are you doing this?” She asked finally.  
                Ellen looked mildly surprised at the question. “Well, hell, I’da thought that would be obvious.” When Max just stared at her, she sighed. “I’ve known all about the Winchester boys since their father stumbled into my bar way, way back. Now, I may have had issues with their father, but I’ve always looked out for my boys…Keegan too, after she joined up. They’ve explained all about Hunters, right?” Max nodded. They had, but she still had a hard time believing these demon chasers, let alone how they kept it from a government who had its own Paranormal Research division. “Well, that life’s rough. You’re on the run a lot, and you don’t know who you can trust. When the whole Lucifer rising thing happened, and Sam and Dean were reborn in their X5 bodies, they were still the same Sam and Dean. Just…better. And lost. No place in the world. I’d do anything to make sure they had a home…they stopped the world from ending, ya know.”  
                “No, I don’t.”

                Ellen raised her eyebrows, but leaned on the bar, gesturing for Max to lean in too. It was a pointless gesture, almost everyone currently in the diner had enhanced hearing, but Ellen was Ordinary, so Max ignored it. “They told you Lucifer rose. What I’m guessing they left out, well, is that it wasn’t a terrorist nuke that caused the Pulse.” Max’s eyebrows raised. “The angels called on Dean and Sam to stop the Apocalypse. The shockwave of the spell was dubbed a nuclear bomb, and America survived. They died stopping Hell from taking over the world.”  
                “That, I’m guessing, would have been bad.”   
                Ellen nodded. “From hear say, the worst. I’ve never been myself, but…” She looked up, and Max followed her gaze. Out the window, Dean had stopped to talk to a couple X4’s who were lounging on the bench outside the diner.

                Max turned back to Ellen, eyes wide. “Dean went to Hell?”  
                “For four months. Sold his soul to bring his brother back from the dead, the idjit, and you can’t break that kind of contract. Castiel apparently dragged him out of there himself in 2009.” She shuddered. “But, from what little Dean will say on the subject, be very glad they won.” She gave another shudder, but excused herself, as someone came up to sit at the other end of the bar.  
                Max suddenly had a lot more intel on her second in command’s new ‘unit’, and she wasn’t sure she liked any of it.  
  
 **  
SEATTLE  
SECTOR 2  
JULY 2021**  
  
                “Are we sure this is an electrical storm?” Dean whispered to Keegan, who was lying on the rooftops next to him. She spared him an annoyed look before glancing back up at the sky. Lightning was dancing dangerously around them.  
                “What else does it look like?” She snipped.  
                “ _What else does it look like?_  Jesus.” Dean mocked, rolling his eyes. Keegan kicked him. “Ow! Screw you too! Sammy, anything on your end?” He said into the small microphone attached to his lapel.  
                “Well…it’s definitely a cattle mutilation.” Came Sam’s disgusted tone in both his and Keegan’s ear pieces.   
                “Which is oh-so-lovely, by the way. Thanks so much for this  _plum_  assignment, Butch.” Alec quipped. Dean rolled his eyes again, regretting ever giving Alec a working com.  
                “Well, at least it means we’re on the right—“  
                “Whoa!” They heard that without their headsets, and both Keegan and Dean leapt to their feet, ignoring the lightning above them for the moment. Below, in the portion of Jefferson Park that had been turned into cattle pasture, they could both see Alec dodging something on the ground, and Sam, rather amusingly, attempting to catch it.  
                “Sam, Alec, what the hell is going on?” Dean yelled into his mic. There was a long wait for a response—they were still dancing around down there. “Sam? Alec?”  
                “Fuckin’ A, give us a fucking minute!” Alec yelled into his mic, making both Keegan and Dean wince.   
                “He didn’t have to yell.” Keegan said, pouting a little. Dean made a face, but patted her shoulder.  
                “Don’t take it personal. Alec’s…”  
                “Alec’s Alec. Trust me, I know.” Dean raised his eyebrows at that, but let it go. He was rather proud of himself for that as well.  
                “It’s a …boa constrictor?” Sam’s voice queried.  
                “I think it’s a ball python, dumbass.” Came Alec’s immediate response. Dean half wished he could be down there, watching Alec play the ‘little brother’ Sam ‘always wanted’.  
                “It’s a fucking snake, Dean. I think we’re just behind them.” Sam huffed.  
                “Damnit!” Dean kicked the edge of the roof, sending a rock flying.  
                By the loud “OW!” that followed, he had damn good aim. “Which one of you fuckers threw that?” Alec demanded.  
                “Keegan.” Dean said, before jumping back ten feet to avoid being hit by Keegan.  
                However, the pause on Alec’s end was more telling. “You’re so dead when I get a hold of you, Butch.”  
                “Bring it, Pretty Boy. Now, meet you all back at the car, and  _no_ , Alec, you are  _not_  driving. Over and out.” Back at the car, Dean and Keegan waited for Alec and Sam, Dean spreading out a map with every possible Cult sighting marked. He hovered over their coordinates for a moment before circling Jefferson Park with red ink. A minute later, he dodged to the side as Alec launched himself at him, instead ending up flying clear over the hood of the Impala.  
                He stood, dusting himself off. “Like I needed  _another_  hit to the head.” He grumbled to Dean, who just laughed.  
                “I wasn’t actually aiming for anyone. I just kicked it. I’m that awesome. I’m Batman.”  
                “Yeah, right.” Sam said, walking up with grass stains on his knees and a writhing bag in his hand. He made a tight knot at the top before shoving it into the back seat. “Got it.”  
                “I am  _not_  sitting back there with the snake demon.” Keegan said.  
                Dean looked at Sam, shocked. “You put that demon spawn in my  _car_?!” Sam sputtered, looking at a loss.  
                Alec just smiled. “Told ya.” He then looked at Keegan. “And I’ll keep ya safe.”  
                “Not in my car you won’t.” Dean said. “Sam, you brought that thing in the car, you can sit in the back. Alec, you can ride with him.”  
                “What?”  
                “Dean!”  
                “House rules.”  
                “I think you mean ‘car rules’.” Alec said, smiling.  
                Dean mock smiled right back. “And you can walk home, smart ass.” Alec stopped smiling.  
                “And you call Sam a control freak.” Keegan muttered, but she walked to the passenger side door, and slid in. Sam and Alec followed suit in the back seat, but Alec made sure to drop the snake in Sam’s lap.  
  
 **  
LOCATION UNKNOWN  
STOP TIME**  
  
                “They’re closing in.”  
                “Good.”  
                “Why can’t I be down there now? Why can’t I be helping them like I said I would?”  
                “There’s a slightly bigger concern.”  
                “Which is?”  
                A sigh. “If they raise this demon…they’ll undo everything we fought for.”  
                “What?”  
                “To break the seal keeping this demon in Hell…it would break the seals holding all the Devil’s Gates shut. If they summon this demon…they’ll be summoning an army of hell spawn greater than Azazel did when he had poor Jake open the Wyoming Gate.”  
                “…”  
                “We need to reinforce the spells. Angels will walk the earth again. The six gates of hell must be re-sealed…and Castiel, you have to do it.”  
                “Why me? I am already on a mission.”  
                “This comes from the highest Authority.”  
                “Father.”  
                “Yes. Because you are the most human…you are the only one who can merge the human and the angelic. The new seal must hold…is your Faith strong enough, Castiel?”  
                “If my Father says I am, then I must be. I only pray he lets me see my own strength first.”  
                “Smart words.”  


****  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
JULY 2021  
  
                “ _Fe’nos tol._  I’ve got some interesting images for you.” Ames White paused, shifting through the photos he held in his hands. On the roof top, there was a woman, and what looked like an older version of X5R-494…but in the next photo (taken a second later and two blocks away) was an X5 he had never seen before; he’d remember an X5 who was well above the Manticore height parameters of 6’; and the real X5R-494. “Yes, sources say they were the ones who have been poking around. The girl is an X5, 105 if I have the right file. Apparently her genetic model just ‘appeared’ at the base in Wyoming.” He paused, flipping through the rest of the images…pausing on the final one, of the four of them getting inside a classic car, a late 60’s model Chevrolet if he was correct. “I think we’re dealing with a new source of interference. The two unknowns match descriptions pre-Pulse of so called ‘Hunters’. Several of our, “ he chuckled, “ _guides_  have mentioned wanting payback for these two. They are competent. I think we should label them an official threat.” He paused, nodding. “ Yes, they say that they have completed many exorcisms. The exceptionally tall one is actually  _feared_  by some guides…the other; who I believe to be the DNA donor for 494; has a reputation. None of our guides would talk about him…he is a dangerous threat to them, so we should assume as much for us.” He paused again, and flipped back through the images, locating the one he was the most excited about. “No…they’re not human. At least…not anymore.”  
                It was Dean and Sam getting into the Impala, back to the camera. The barcodes could be seen on both of their necks.


	8. Chapter 8

**TERMINAL CITY  
CONTROL CENTER  
JULY 2021**  
  
                “No.”  
                Dean cocked his head to the side, then dug a finger in his ear, cleaning out imaginary ear wax. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.” He ignored Sam tugging on his sleeve, even Alec clearing his throat in a meaningful way. “I thought you said that you weren’t going to let us track down the demon behind the freaky-ass snake cult.” He gave her a half smile, barely concealing his anger.  
                Max, however, was looking at Dean like he was a particularly stupid two year old. “I’m not going to have you guys out there doing your whack demon hunting when we’ve got a media war already blaming us for every damn thing that goes wrong in Seattle.” She shook her head. “So again, no.”  
                “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Dean exclaimed, throwing his hands up. Sam immediately came forward, but Alec dodged between Dean and Max, arms up.  
                “Max, you heard Castiel. This is very important, for us too.”  
                “So important you run off to desecrate graves instead of working as our PR rep, like you’re supposed to, Alec? Or are you just looking for an excuse to run off when the going gets a little tough?”   
                Alec looked like he had been slapped. And after a long moment, he leaned in to Max, holding up one finger. “At least I give a damn about something other than my damn _appearance_  and finding a  _cure_  so I can fuck the man I pretend to hate.” He spun on his heel and stormed out, ignoring even Joshua’s attempts to catch his attention.  
                “He-He didn’t mean that.” Sam said, looking back at Alec’s retreating back.  
                “Oh yes I did!” He called over his shoulder, not breaking stride.  
                “See! I’m not the only one who thinks Max is buckets of crazy because she’s able to go after  _her_  extra curriculars, but we can’t go after the Big Bad.” Dean snapped.   
                Max snapped her mouth shut, and looked dangerously on the verge of tears. “Yeah?” She said after a minute. “Why is your ‘Big Bad’—“  
                “What part of ‘demon’ don’t you get?” Dean snapped, coming back at Max. However, Joshua, most likely upset because his ‘Medium Fella’ already stormed out, and now ‘Small Fella’ was sad, stepped between them, growling low in his throat.  
                “Easy, Josh.” Sam said, putting a hand on Joshua’s shoulder. “Dean’s gonna take a couple steps back now.” He finished, pointedly.  
                “Whatever, Sammy. This is how it’s gonna go down.” Dean said, jabbing a finger in Max’s face. “We got that damned truce with Seattle. We can leave TC without a problem. Sammy and I? We’re heading out. We’re going after this demon and it’s breeding buddies, and we’ll do it our way: no one we’ll know we’re transgenics. But you stay out of our business, and we’ll stay out of yours.”  
                There was a long, tense moment where Max and Dean stared each other down, and then Max spun, turning her back on him. “Do what you want. You’re not a real X5 anyway.”  
                Dean felt like he just took a punch to the gut. “You know, you’re a real bitch when you want to be.”  
                “And I know where Alec got his asshole genes from.”  
                “The name calling really isn’t getting us anywhere, guys.” Sam said, stepping between the two of them.  
                But Dean wasn’t done. And before Sam could stop him, he had grabbed Max’s wrist. She turned, looking at him like he had lost his mind. “You spend forty years in Hell, and tell me I don’t have a right to be an asshole.” He snarled. “You sit there, and cry about ten years at Manticore, and how humans are being mean again…you’ve never been skinned alive, drowning in your own blood,  _begging_  for death… Only, when it comes, you’re whole, and your screams haven’t even stopped echoing from the walls when they start to peel your flesh off all over again. You have no idea what we’re fighting, Maxie, and I hope to  _God_  you never have to find out, so that all you have to worry about are your precious transgenics and your kiss of death with Logan. Excuse me while Sam and I stop _humanity_  from ending…” He gave a bitter laugh, “Again.” That was the beginning of the end.  
  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **JULY 2021**  
  
 _New targets acquired. Possible threats to our final plan. While they are not our priority, they are now up in our top ten. Also on the list, note X5R-494 is also a priority with this, to compare genetic samples. Please see enclosed images._

  
  
**TERMINAL CITY**  
 **JULY 2021**  
  
                “I’m coming with you.” Sam jerked around from the duffle he had been packing, and faced the door. Alec was leaning on the doorframe, a packed duffle at his feet.  
                “What?”  
                “I’m. Coming. With. You.” He stepped forward with each word. Sam raised his eyebrows. “I can’t go back to being blind about this shit, Sammy. And, yeah…I feel for my people more than anything…” He looked a little sheepish, “But the way I see it,  _no one_ ’s gonna be safe if we don’t stop this psychotic cult from breeding their warriors, and summoning their big bad demon lord.” He paused.  
                “What?” Sam asked, placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder.   
                Alec shrugged. “I just…got the feeling Castiel didn’t tell us everything…”  
                “Yeah… he does that.” Alec didn’t flinch as Dean spoke, but Sam did. Dean walked forward from the bathroom, where he had obviously been eavesdropping. “You know, Max isn’t gonna be too happy losing you.”  
                “She’ll deal. Besides, I’ve got a hell of a lot more training then you, and you may need a person of my unique talents…for heists, amongst other things.”   
                Dean didn’t think he meant the thievery. “You’re her second in command.”  
                “And you’re my original. If I back off that mission, I’m denying who I am.” Those words were strangely heavy.  
                There was a long silence, and the three of them just took each other in. And then, no words needed, Dean shrugged and started packing up his things. Sam followed suit, and Alec stood by the corner, flipping through one of the books on demons that Sam had been packing when he walked in.  
                Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door frame, and all three looked up. There stood Keegan. “Running off without me?” She looked a little upset. “I mean, I had to hear from  _Mole_  of all people that you and Max had a throw down in the control room, and that the Winchesters were leaving Terminal City.” She made a mocking gesture with her hands while finishing her sentence. “And, since when has ‘the Winchesters’ not included me? Or did that change when you threw me out?” Her face was set, and she looked  _pissed_. Dean felt a twinge in his stomach, and it took him a second to recognize it as the wriggling of guilt. Apparently, despite the three months they had been working together, Keegan hadn’t completely forgiven him. By the feeling in his stomach, he hadn’t forgiven himself either.  
                “You’re a Winchester, Keely.” Sam said, offering a small smile. “We just didn’t want to assume—“  
                “You knew I’d be coming, don’t start that bullshit, Sam. I know you can spin a web like no one’s business, don’t try it on me.” But, she had a smile quirking on the corner of her lips, and Sam returned it.  
                Dean also smiled. “Gang’s back together.”  
                “No.” And Dean turned to look at Alec, raising both eyebrows. Alec shook his head, repeating, “No.”  
                “Excuse me?” Keegan’s affronted tone was completely warranted in both of her brothers’ books. But Alec held his ground.  
                “No. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t want—“  
                “If you finish that sentence with ‘her getting hurt’, dude, you are so barking up the wrong tree.” Dean finished for him, laughing to himself. Seriously, this whole crush thing was adorable. Thank god they were both so oblivious. “Kee can take care of herself. Remember, she’s also been fighting this war for centuries. Yeah, we tried to stop her way back when…didn’t work then, won’t work now.”  
                Keegan nodded, crossing her arms, and looked from Dean back to Alec. Alec finally seemed to give. He didn’t look happy about it, but he gave a reluctant nod, and for a second, him and Dean were indistinguishable aside from their hair. “Jo and Ellen are gonna be pissed.” Sam said after a moment, looking away from the now angsting Alec, and back to Dean. “I mean, they’re hunters—“  
                “I already spoke to them.” Keegan said, finally stepping into the room and flopping onto the bed that was unoccupied by bags being packed. “Did you know Jo’s been seeing Sketchy?”  
                At this, all three boys looked up in shock. “What?”   
                Keegan looked slightly alarmed. “Damn…didn’t need all three of you to jump at that. What I mean is, Jo’s content to chill here. Ellen’s playing grandma to the second generation of X5s from Manticore’s breeding program…”  
                “Who’da thunk?” Dean snorted, and shook his head. “I’ll still pop by and ask. But us four should be good. We can all fit in the Impala.”  
                “You mean I can’t take my bike?” Alec said, looking slightly alarmed. “Damnit!”  
                “If you think I’m attaching a tow trailer to my Baby, you’re dead wrong.” Alec looked like he was going to argue, but Keegan put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.  
                “Why don’t we start by figuring out where we’re going to go first? It’s a bad idea to just go off halfcocked.” Said Sam, sitting down, frowning to himself. “The Cult has White babysitting us in Seattle…but is that where the cult’s headquarters are?”  
                “Fair point.”   
                “Told you I’m the smarter brother.”  
                “I beat you both on the IQ scale.” Sam and Dean both flipped Alec off. “What? 170 beats Sammy-boy’s 155.”  
                “I don’t know how I can take that. You’re clone’s smarter than me.” Sam said, frowning. Dean just gave that little self-satisfied smirk of his, and gave Alec a high five.  
                “Ok, testosterone fest over, work to do.” Keegan said, grabbing a map out of Sam’s bag (with Sam yelping a ‘hey!’), and unfurled it. The four of them clustered around, and began planning their biggest hunt to date.

**BASE OF OPERATIONS  
LATE JULY 2021**  
  
                “Who are they?” Ames White demanded, tossing a picture into the dingy, dirty cell. The man on the floor: crumpled, disheveled, but still proud; didn’t move to take the picture. White stepped forward, kicking out with one foot, and catching the man in the ribs. He then, very calmly, grabbed the man by his hair, and dragged him back to the center of the cell, and shoved the picture in front of the man’s face. “Who are these people?”  
                “And why should I tell you?” The man bit out, glaring up at White. Ames, however, just shrugged, and smashed the man’s face into the concrete of the floor. Blood blossomed from his nose, and splattered onto Ames’ shined patent leather shoes.  
                “Who are these people? If you can even call them people, I mean, these are the freaks your people cooked up at Manticore…” He laughed to himself, and nudged the man with his foot, rolling him onto his back. It would be bad for him to suffocate in his own blood before they got the answers they needed. “Now, I’m interested in these two men…especially since I have personal acquaintance with, apparently, this  _thing’s_  clone, X5R-494. Real degenerate, even for a transgenic piece of filth. So…who are they?”  
                When the man’s eyes focused on the picture, he had to mask his surprise very carefully. “He isn’t anyone’s clone. X5R-494’s clone was 493, who is deceased.” He said, coughing up blood.  
                Ames nodded, pretending to consider it. And then he punched the man, being careful not to hit him too hard: the guy already had taken quite the beating. “I don’t believe you.”  
                But what Ames wasn’t expecting was the man to look him straight in the eye, and shake his head. “Whoever he is…I wouldn’t go after him. He’s an Alpha.”  
                “Whatever that means…” Ames nodded, and then aimed a hard kick to the man’s ribs. “Thanks for your help.” And he turned and walked out of the cell, leaving the man to catch his breath, bleeding on the floor.  
                But Lydecker wasn’t as hurt as he was pretending. He carefully reached out, grabbing the photo from the floor before it became soaked in the fountain of blood from his face. Using his sleeve to stem the flow, he pulled himself onto his cot, and peered closely at the picture. There was no mistaking the barcode on either of the men’s necks…X5-112 and 113. And the way 112 was carrying himself, it was obvious he was coming into the alpha programming they had…which was also inherent in several of the X5 models intended to be Team Leaders, including 599, and 494. And yes, 112 shared some DNA as the 49-line, but clone? They shouldn’t look alike at all…Manticore had made sure… _Sandman_ had made sure…  
                Sandman. Of course.  
                But there had been something off with the specimens they had received. 112’s original donor carried traces of sulfur and an unidentifiable substance that glowed white…predominately around the handprint shaped burn on his arm. And in the corner of the picture…Squinting, he could just make out the other two bar codes on the back of their necks…494 and…105? Somehow, 3 deceased X5s were walking around, and had caught the attention of Ames White. Donald Lydecker knew that he had to escape, and he had to help his kids… _now_.  
  
 **  
TERMINAL CITY  
LATE JULY 2021**  
  
                “Medium Fella is really going?” Joshua looked like he had lost his best friend. Which, considering the situation, he kind of was. Alec walked up to the towering dog-boy and gave him a big hug. Joshua wrapped his arms around him, and lifted him up, clear off the floor.  
                “Can’t—breath—Josh—“  
                “Sorry, Alec.” Joshua put him down, and patted him on the shoulder, giving him a sad smile. Alec smiled back.  
                “This is a large crowd for us getting’ the hell outta Dodge.” Dean muttered to Sam, turning away from the large group milling around the inside of Terminal City Diner. Granted, a good majority of those people were for Alec, but Jo and Ellen were there, hugging them, and making them promise to be careful and safe…which they really weren’t going to do, and everyone knew that, but it seemed to be tradition.  
                “Dean, can I talk to you for a second?” Logan was directly behind them, looking at them like he’d rather be anywhere else but there. Dean looked at Sam, Sam looked at Dean, and they both shrugged.  
                “You got me.” Dean said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Logan peered at him, and Dean knew why he was under such intent scrutiny. Logan had claimed that they acted too normal, not even Alec with his covert training or Max with her years blending in acted as ‘human’ as Sam and Dean. He didn’t seem to believe that they were the same Sam and Dean they had been since birth…and just forced into X5 bodies.   
                Logan looked like he didn’t like the situation, but was fully aware he wasn’t going to pull Dean away from Sam. “I’ve got some information you guys should know before you head out…” He handed over some papers, which Dean passed off to Sam to flip through, continuing to watch Logan. “Oh…kay…well someone’s been digging around looking for people matching your groups general descriptions. I pulled all the info I could and made it appear like you guys died…It could be White or someone else in the Breeding Cult.”  
                Sam’s eyes had been growing steadily wider as he skimmed through the papers. “Thanks Logan. Seriously, this might give us an edge.” Logan glanced at Sam and gave him a big smile.  
                “No problem.”  
                “Thanks.” Dean said, clapping Logan on the shoulder. “Now just leave those snake worshiping freaks to us…we’ve got some experience in this.”  
                Logan gave a little disbelieving laugh. “Yeah, because you guys were big demon hunters in another life.” When Dean raised his eyebrows, Logan lost the smile  _very_  quick.  
                “What I don’t get, is how you can accept that there is genetically engineered super soldiers out there, but you can’t accept that there are ghosts, demons, and generally bad shit running around too.” Dean said, getting ready for yet another battle with the rather annoying human.  
                “And things like me.” No one else seemed to notice the sudden appearance of another body in their midst, but Sam and Dean instinctively took a step back. Castiel just gave them their usual nod of greeting, and then looked at Logan. “I need to speak with my wards for a moment.”  
                Logan, looking rather drugged, nodded, turned, and walked straight into the doorway twice before making it through and into the main dining hall.  
                “Dude, ease up on the angel juice. I think you just fried his brain.” Dean said, turning back to Cas.  
                “I need to speak with you, and the others going with you.”  
                “Ok,” Sam said, gesturing towards the main dining room, “I’ll go—“ And they suddenly weren’t in the Diner anymore.  
  
 **LOCATION UNKNOWN  
STOP TIME**  
                “WHY THE FUCK CAN’T I SEE?!”  
                “Dean, stop yelling!”  
                “Sam? Is that you?” Came a female voice.  
                “Keegan?”  
                “What the  _fuck_  just happened?”  _That_  voice sounded eerily familiar to Dean.  
                “Oh, great, the gang’s all here.”  
                “Sarcasm isn’t going to tell us where ‘here’ is, Dean.”  
                “Thanks, Sam.”  
                “If you would be silent for but a moment, I will explain.” And, at the sound of Cas’ voice, all four of them fell silent. “I have brought you to where angels go to receive Revelation.”  
                “We’re  _dead_ ” It wasn’t surprising that Keegan was the most freaked at that prospect.  
                “No, you’re just…in limbo. I needed to speak with you where we would not be over heard. Now be silent, we do not have much time. It is very important that you keep on the path you are heading. I will be going away for a while…I have been…reassigned. Do not interrupt me, Dean.” Dean wasn’t quite sure how Castiel could see he was going to interrupt, especially when as far as Dean could tell, they were nothing floating in nothing, but, maybe it was an angel thing. “I need for you to meet me at the Devil’s gate in Wyoming. You have three months.”  
                “Wait—“  


  
**TERMINAL CITY**  
 **LATE JULY 2021**  
               

                                “—Cas, you need to give us more—“ Dean stopped. The whole diner was staring at him…and he had to admit, he must look kind of crazy, shouting at thin air. No time had passed. Keegan looked shell shocked from where she was sitting by the bar, mid-sentence with an X6 that Dean thought was called Dalton. Alec was glancing around like he had no idea what just happened, despite Joshua trying in vain to make him remember the conversation. Dean and Sam looked at each other.  
                “That was…different…”Sam said, glancing around.  
                “You’re telling me.” Dean said, before reaching over and pinching Sam’s arm.  
                “OW! What the fuck, man?”  
                “Just checking.”  
                “We’re not dreaming, Dean. And you’re  _supposed_  to pinch yourself.”   
                Dean just waved him off. “Ok! We’re moving out!” He called. Keegan moved without hesitation. Alec paused for one second more: Max was staring him down from the kitchen entrance, but then turned up his collar and headed towards the Winchesters.  
                Ten minutes later, they were on the other side of the secret tunnel, hoping into the Impala, and hitting the road.  


  
**SOMEWHERE ALONG ROUTE 5**  
 **AUGUST 3rd 2021**  
  
                “I spy…with my little eye…”  
                “Ok, seriously Alec, shut the fuck up.”  
                “…Something beginning with—“ he flinched. “Ow!” Dean just smiled, and casually tossed another tape in his hand. “That actually hurt.” He rubbed at his forehead. “You made me bleed!”  
                “Suck it up, and shut up!” Keegan groaned from her place on his lap. She had just bunked down from driving a twelve hour stretch, and Alec had offered his leg as a pillow. Sam was out cold in the front seat. Driving straight out for 3 days was taking its toll on the four X5s (it had to be, Dean had actually let Alec drive), and they were heading towards the end of their gas reserves.  
                Dean was also checking the rearview mirror almost constantly now. Finally, he gave a whistle, startling Keegan up. “Fuck!” Alec grunted, eyes watering, and voice high.   
                Dean raised his eyebrows.  “What?”  
                “Great aim, Keegan.” He wheezed, using one hand to cup his bruised anatomy, “Thanks, Dean, for scaring the fuck outta her.”  
                “We got bigger problems.” Dean said, glancing again at the rearview. Sam, Alec and Keegan all turned in their seats. “That same sedan has been following us for the past two hours.”  
                Sam’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the conspicuously inconspicuous car behind them. “A tail.”  
                “No duh, Sammy. I was more wondering what the hell we should do. We’re in the middle of nowhere, got no other transportation, and all of our stuff is in this car.”  
                Keegan looked like she was about to say something, but suddenly shut her eyes, taking a shuddering breath before snapping them open. “I think I may be able to do something, but I’m gonna need everyone’s help.” Dean raised his eyebrows. “I’m not a super powered Fae anymore, need to draw power from somewhere if you don’t want me all seizure-y. Promise it’s a hundred percent psychic and not Faerie.”  
                “Aw, man, does this mean we have to hold hands again?” Dean cursed under his breath, “What the hell is with all the psychic shit needing hand holding?”   
                Keegan gave him a look that made his hair stand on end. “It’s not ‘hand holding’, short bus. I’m stealing a bit of his life force and some of Sammy’s psychic energy to try to jump us. Its gonna hurt all of us, but it might get us outta here.”  
                “I’m game.” Alec said, holding out a hand. “Little pain can be fun.”  
                Dean rolled his eyes, “Could you please  _not_  make innuendos while we’ve got an unknown on our six that could turn into a hostile at any moment?” He didn’t want to add the fact that not only was Keegan about to risk her own life, but, damnit, there was Alec and  _Sam_ …  
                “Sam…remember channeling?” He nodded, “Do it.”  
                Dean kept driving. As far as he could see, Alec and Keegan were doing that warrior forearm grip, and Sam looked constipated. What he could  _feel_  was static electricity along his entire body. It was weird, and almost hurt. His mouth was going dry, and he was doing his best to stay quiet. Concentration was probably key. The Alec let out a groan of pain, and Sam winced, and Dean suddenly felt everything _shift_  and he got cold-so-cold-nauseous-swirling-light-blur-sound-streaming—  
                “Pull the fucking car over I’m going to be sick.” Sam bit out. Dean didn’t need to be told twice.  
                They spent the next ten minutes hanging out of the Impala, using her for varying stages of support, throwing up the meager food they had eaten the past three days. Keegan seemed to have it the worst, and unsurprisingly Dean the easiest. Well, he suspected the Impala had gotten through the ordeal with the least amount of wear and tear; she was gleaming as ever, even if her tires looked as if they could use some air. Probably that whole vacuum thing it felt like they were shoved through. However, after inspecting the Impala, he realized, he probably should have been looking for their tail. He turned a complete 360 before realizing they were in a completely empty stretch of desert road…he could literally see for miles, and there was no one around.  
                Eyeing the still-retching trio, Dean dodged back into the car, and grabbed the GPS that Dix had given them before they left. And he got back out of the car. “KEEGAN!”  
                She nearly leapt out of her skin, but stood up, still spitting out the taste of vomit. “Uh…what?”  
                He shoved the GPS under her nose. “Do you know where we are?” She glanced at the GPS, and did a rather amusing double take.  
                “Oh shit.”  
                “What?” Sam asked, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Alec looked up as well.  
                Dean held out the GPS. “We’re in the Chihuahua desert…in Arizona.” Alec groaned and threw a hand over his eyes, and Sam made a face like he was trying not to laugh and cry at the same time. “What the fuck was this?”  
                “I was aiming for Southern California, closer to the Cult sightings but too big of a distance for the tail to even fucking find us. I’ve also never fucking bent space enough for four people and a fucking  _Chevrolet_  to drive through. Teleporting isn’t just  _poof_  you’re there. Be happy we didn’t end up twenty feet away from where we started.” She shook herself, and looked up at Dean, face pale. “I really didn’t mean for this one to happen like this. But that didn’t feel like my normal jumps either. It feels like I’m pushing…this one…”  
                “Yeah, I’ve ‘ported with you before. This was a whole different ball game. I thought it was just the juice you got from me.” Alec said, looking a little punch drunk.  
                Keegan looked at him sharply. “Juice I got from you? What the fuck are you talking about?”  
                Everyone stilled. “Just before…when we were stuck with the tail…you said you might be able to do something.” Alec said, hurrying over. He placed a hand on her face. “You said you’d need Sam and my help.” She just stared at him with a growing look of…Dean would guess terror on her face.  
                “What did I do.” She didn’t make it a question.  
                Alec looked concerned. “You held my arm…said you needed my life force.”  
                “You said you needed me to channel my energy too. Said it was gonna hurt. Which it did.” Sam added.  
                “That’s not how I teleport. I don’t use life force. Life force is Fae magic…stuff I can’t do anymore.” Keegan was starting to look really freaked out. “And the only other thing that needs life force for it’s magic…” She looked at Dean.  
                Dean swallowed hard. “Demons.”  
                Alec looked between them for a good minute before yelling, “Are you telling me she was possessed?”  
                “Was, or still is.” Sam said, stepping forward with a frown. “Kee, you know we have to.”  
                “I know.” She sat down where she stood, as if bracing herself.   
                The moment ended up being very anticlimactic, because the water did absolutely nothing to her. She stood, wiping off her face, and glaring at the ground. “I thought, ‘I could try to teleport all of us’ and then I was being thrown through space, and being sick on the side of the road. I thought I did it, but I don’t remember the in between. _Something_  happened.  _I_  don’t lose time.” Dean was about to open his mouth when the hairs on the back of his neck rose, and he felt the need to hiss, and back away, to attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sam, Alec and Keegan getting similarly tense, almost twitchy. He spun.  
                There was a woman standing alone in the middle of the road. She looked at them, staying back a good distance, her blonde hair blowing in the dry desert wind. They stared at her, eyes focused like a cat that’s spotted a bird. She blinked, and her eyes were solid black.  
                If Dean had been around any other group, he would have been embarrassed by the hiss that escaped his snarled lips, but there it was. A demon. That was nifty, he could sense demons. Apparently, all X5s could. He vaguely chalked that one to the feline DNA. And the demon was obviously confused with what to do with them, it just cocked the pretty head it had at them, and stared almost disbelieving.  
                And then it spoke: “Really. Hissing, Dean? Seriously?”  
                “Son-of-a-BITCH!” Dean said, and promptly turned all of his anger on a rock sticking out of the forlorn concrete, sending it flying with his foot.  
                Sam cursed under his breath. “Nice to see you too, Sam.” He just rolled his eyes, and stalked to the other side of the car, giving her the cold shoulder. The demon just looked at Keegan, and gave her a smile, “Keegan…”  
                Keegan just snorted. “It would figure, you’d be the only one stupid enough to try to possess me.”  
                “I’m sorry, are you not grateful I just saved your asses from a bunch of Familiars? You should be  _thanking_  me. Besides, it was for barely five minutes.”  
                Keegan growled. “I hope it hurt like a bitch.”  
                “You’re not Fae anymore. No harm, no foul.” Keegan snarled a ‘fuck you’ at that one, and stormed off to stand next to Sam. Alec stood there, looking confused. The demon started walking towards him, and he backed up, looking very much like a cornered kitten. “And damn, Dean, did you get busy or what, this kid looks just like you.”  
                “Leave him alone.” Dean said, sounding tired. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That’s Alec, and it’s none of your business what he is. And, Pretty Boy, you just met your first honest to God—“ He made a mocking bow, “my mistake, demon. Alec, meet Ruby.”


	9. Chapter 9

**BASE OF OPERATIONS  
AUGUST 2021**  
  
                Ames White did not like to be ignored.  In fact, the last time he had been ignored, he had gotten an order from the governor himself to take over command at the transgenic siege of Jam Pony. But right now? His men were running all over the compound, flashlights searching, guns trained on anything that moved, desperately trying to piece together what had happened, but no one was bothering to explain it to  _him_. And Ames was feeling ignored.  
                Reaching out, he casually grabbed one of the government soldiers jogging by, hand circling his throat easily, and lifting him two feet off the ground before the man realized his feet weren’t hitting pavement anymore. “Excuse me,” Ames inquired, in a falsely polite voice, applying pressure to the man’s windpipe. The man, Garette, according to his uniform, made a choking noise that could have meant a thousand things. White took it to mean “Can I help you, sir?”  
                “You see this cell, right here?” Ames said, effortlessly pulling the man along, and forcing him to look inside the empty cell that had once housed a rather important prisoner. The man’s only response was to pry at the fingers encircling his throat, and turn steadily more purple as the blood remained trapped in his head. “I want to know what happened to the man inside it.”  
                He dropped Garette, who didn’t even have the decency to catch himself on his feet. However, taking one glance at Ames White’s shark-cold blue eyes, he hastily cleared his throat the best he could, and stood at attention. “As far as the report goes, sir, the prisoner appeared to be having a heart attack.” His voice was raspy.  
                Ames was a little disappointed in himself: he usually had more control then that…well, this one could be chalked up to stress in the work place, he imagined. “And why did  _no one_  think to inform  _me_?”  
                Garette paled, and glanced to either side, his eyes shimmering red in the emergency lighting. “I…I don’t know…sir. I…I wasn’t on guard duty…I can…”  
                Before the soldier could continue, Ames held up a hand. “Bring me the man in charge while I was away.” He ignored the stiff salute and the way Garette glanced back over his shoulder at him. The man was a good soldier, if heavy on his feet. A waste to kill the messenger. Uncompassionate, Ames kicked at a dead guard, a soldier who wasn’t up to snuff. The neck wound—probably made by a shiv—gave a weak trickle of blood. White wasn’t surprised, the floor was thick with the man’s red life force, and the soldiers kept slipping in it…“I think I need to  _deal_  with our command…I don’t tolerate mistakes…”  
  
 **  
THE CHIHUAHUA DESERT  
ARIZONA  
AUGUST 3rd, 2021**  
  
 _Sometimes,_  Dean thought,  _having a clone **sucks.**_ Standing out in the desert, the sun bright and making him squint, he got a  _very_  good look at his range of facial expressions. Alec was currently going through disgust (which he carried off looking slightly ridiculous, if he was honest enough to admit it) and Dean could have sworn he was thinking along the lines of:  _Seriously? Ruby? Why isn’t she in Hell with all the other ones with the whole stopping of Lucifer?_  
                “Good point.” Alec’s gaze jumped from Ruby to Dean, expression going from disgust to shock. Another one that was slightly amusing… “Why  _are_  you here? Didn’t you get swept back under with all your degenerate, parasitic kind?”  
                Sam and Keegan both turned back towards Ruby as well. Ruby, however, had joined Alec in staring at Dean with something akin to mock shock and awe on her (stolen) face. “Wow, Dean, didn’t know you even knew what ‘degenerate’ meant.”  
                “You’re avoiding the subject, bitch.”   
                She twitched a little at the word. “You know, you were so much nicer before you went to Hell. You sure you’re not a demon yourself, Dean-o?”   
                Dean allowed himself one glance towards his partners, before he was holding Ruby by her throat, one hand covering her mouth, preventing her escape from the body she so brazenly wore. Her eyes had gone huge; the body’s were a sweet hazel, though the pupils were dilated with fear, or perhaps her demon-ness was just bleeding through. After all, he had just crossed four yards in barely a blink of an eye, his motion leaving a blurred trail. “I know what I am…I’m asking why  _you’re_  here.” She mumbled something against his hand that felt (and sounded) like ‘You’re hurting me’ and several things clicked into place.  She could be hurt by him. She didn’t know what he was. She hadn’t tried to escape, and a hand wouldn’t stop her from smoking out. Dean cocked his head to the side, but removed his hand, and lowered her back to the ground, hand still at her throat. “I still want answers.”  
                “I’m beginning to want some to.” She glanced back at Alec, and Dean tightened his grip ever so slightly on her neck. Her eyes flashed back to him. “I got a pass.”  
                “Excuse me?” That came from Sam, who had every right to sound as disbelieving as he did. “After everything you put me through, you got a pass out of hell?” Small rocks on the road were starting to lift off the ground. And while Sam was much better at controlling his psychic powers now that he wasn’t under the influence of demon blood (any more than Keegan’s theory that it was encoded into their DNA), that was not a good sign. At all.  
                Ruby seemed to think so too. “Look, Sam, I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much now, but I thought that was the only way.”  
                However, with the same speed Dean had used earlier, Sam was suddenly next to Dean, and inches from Ruby’s face. “So, it didn’t matter to you that  _I_  might’ve ended up becoming Lucifer in the process, so long as your  _rival_  Lilith went down.”  
                Dean cocked an eyebrow, “Would you like me to leave?”  
                Sam took a moment as if to seriously consider it, but then shook his head. “No. I might lose my temper and  _kill_  the bitch. And she’s not worth it.” From behind Alec, Keegan looked very proud. Heck, Dean felt his chest swell with pride for his brother too.  
                Ignoring the chick flick moment, he whistled. When Alec and Keegan looked at him, he jerked his head towards the trunk. “Keegan, teach Pretty Boy how to draw a Devil’s Trap.” Looking back at Ruby, who looked quietly resigned, he said, “I don’t know what you’re deal is yet…and until I do, we’re having a pow wow, right here. You ain’t goin’ anywhere.”  
                It took Alec two minutes to draw the symbol, after a moment glancing at the pages of Bobby’s old books. Dean spared a second to be jealous of Alec’s eidetic memory before setting Ruby down in the center of the septegram. She sat there sulking, rubbing at her throat. “That actually hurt, short bus.”  
 _That’s a check in the ‘demon blood in our cocktail’ theory._  Sounded in Keegan’s voice. Dean shook his head; he had been looking at Keegan, she hadn’t moved her mouth.  
                “You mean to say,” He said to Keegan, “That I can hurt her because the dude that made us—Sandman, right?—put demon blood in our makeup.”   
                “Ok, man, now you’ve got to explain some shit.” That was Alec, who stepped in front of an awestruck Keegan and looked disturbed.

                Dean glanced at Sam. Sam was giving him the same look. “What?”  
                “That’s the second time you’ve spoken to someone as if they had just said something, when no one did. The first time, dare I say it, it seemed like you read my mind.” Alec sounded vaguely creeped out by the prospect.  
                “Second time too.” Keegan piped up, not scared or worried, just…looking at him. Which was freaking him out. He wasn’t getting anything else from her, just a weird static, and had a feeling that the minute Alec said that, she had put some wall or something up.  
                Good. It wasn’t like he wanted a direct line into Keegan’s chick brain anyway. He could get all girly or something. Or as girly as Keegan got, which…come to think of it…there were worse things in life. Like being Sam. And he realized he was dwelling on that thought and looked back at Keegan, who was now grinning. “Oh damn you.”  
                “White noise is great isn’t it?” She looked at Alec. “For some reason, Dean’s got a gift. Don’t think it extends very far, though. Probably awoke when Ruby the wonder bitch forced us through the magic time warp.”  
                “I don’t think so.”  _That_  was from Sam, and he had his thinking face on, and Dean really didn’t like being the subject of all of their focus when they had  _Ruby_ , who was apparently the last Demon on Earth, trapped.  
                “Guys, this can wait. Demon. Right there.” He said, pointing.   
                “Glad you remembered. I was feeling a little left out.” She quipped, her lip curling. Dean mocked the face, and glanced back up. Sure enough, Sam, Alec and Keegan were all following his lead. “So…what's all this ‘made’ stuff anyway?”  
                “None of your business, that’s what it is.” Sam said, dropping to his hunches next to Dean. Ruby glared at him.  
                “Why are you here, Ruby? And I want a straight answer or I have Sam exorcise your ass back to Hell…where I’m guessing you won’t be too welcome.” Ruby glanced from Dean to Sam, then back, in real fear.  
                “But, he can’t do that without—“  
                “I’ve learned some new tricks.” Sam deadpanned.   
                Ruby gave an audible whimper. “I need your help.”  
                Dean couldn’t help but let out a humorless laugh. “Why am I not surprised.”  
                “No.” Sam said, shaking his head.  
                “I’ll help you defeat the Familiars! I know the demon—“  
                “Just like you could save Dean from Hell?” Snarled Sam, up on his feet and in the trap with Ruby in an eye blink. “Just like how you needed me?”  
                “Sam, ease up, she’s really choking.” That came from Alec, who was staring at Ruby like he was starting to get a migraine. “Both of them are…What the fuck is going on with this?” He put a hand to his head and turned away. Keegan looked away from Dean for a second, and he caught a blast of  _makes no sense, **two**  sets of emotions from  **one**  bod_ before the white noise that Keegan seemed throwing in his direction went up again. Now she was looking strained; apparently sending it in two ways was hard.  
                He had to stop Sam. “Sam, stop! She’s possessing a living girl!” Sam immediately dropped Ruby, leaving her panting and holding her bruised neck. That also solidified the subject in Dean’s mind. “Exorcise her.”  
                “No.” Ruby stared at him with absolute shock.   
                Dean ignored her. “Keegan, don’t worry about me, you’re gonna want to shield Alec from this. I can’t imagine what this will feel like for an empath.” Keegan nodded, even though Alec made to protest. “I’m not sending you away, Pretty Boy,” He said over Ruby’s pleas, “Just making sure you don’t end up insane. Ruby shut up!”  
                “But I can help you! They left me here for a reason!”  
                “I think we can safely assume that it was for  _us_  to send you back to Hell.” Keegan snarled. “I’d think of it as a bonus.”  
                Dean grinned. “That settles it. Do it.”  
                “WAIT!” Ruby yelled, rushing the invisible wall of her prison. “The snake demon isn’t yet on this plain!”  
                Dean made a face. “Sam, concentrate. She’s full of shit. We keep picking off the snake spawn that have the demon blood—“  
                “It once bred with a snake from this plain! It was at the garden! It was—“ But she couldn’t speak anymore, because she was choking on her own demon smoke, as Sam concentrated as hard has he could; his pupils had dilated to the point where his entire iris looked black, but none of them were worried, and the smoke poured. Dean felt a rush of thoughts in his head, but, thankfully, they were being sucked out and down, as there was a flash of rotten eggs across his tongue and the girl collapsed. Dean rushed forward and checked her pulse. Sadly, it beat weakly, like a moth’s wing, before slowly stopping.  
                “Damnit.” Sam cursed, barely able to stay on his feet.  
                “That’s on Ruby, not you.” Dean said. And then he turned back to Alec, who looked mildly impressed, and Keegan, who looked like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Silence resonated in his skull. “Are you doing the white noise thing again?”  
                Keegan raised her eyebrows. “Nope. You’re not hearing us anymore?”  
                Sam, however, looked like  _he_  won a prize, and looked at Alec, who raised his eyebrows. “My guess is Manticore.” Said Alec, when everyone looked at him.  
                “Mine too. They had the letter ‘A’ stamped on the corner of your file, Dean; yours too, Alec—“  
                “Wow…maybe they knew my name would be Alec..”  
                “Shut up. Anyway, I think it was a special procedure… we were ‘born’ in groups of thirty, right? There are two ‘A’ folders a group from what I could tell, I need more research, but I think it has something to do with leadership.” He looked very pleased with himself.  
                “Dude,” Said Alec, looking mildly worried, “We need to buy you some porn. You get  _way_ too excited over research.”  
                “Let’s first take stock of gas and rations. Ruby did kinda send us way the fuck off course.” Keegan said, glancing around. Dean nodded, and moved towards the car. But, it tickled in the back of his mind.   
 _I think it has something to do with leadership.  
                It seemed like you read my mind._  
                It was a lot easier dealing with all this spoon bending when it wasn’t him.  
  
 **  
AFRICAN JUNGLE  
AUGUST 2021**  
  
                The humidity clung to the air, and if he looked closely enough, he could have sworn he could  _see_  the water molecules that made his human skin itch so. But, Castiel was practical, and it had long since stopped being about the human vessel who had donated his body to the Lord’s work. Still, he spared a small measure of power to send a cooling draft of air around his body: the rainy season was a blessing in this usually dry and hot landscape, but, in his opinion, it made the heat even more oppressive. He wondered if that was why the demons had worked so hard to place a gate here…it reminded them of home.  
                Due to the wards set up around such locations, Castiel could only fly in within a mile of the Devil’s Gate. The rest of the way was spent trudging through the jungle, and keeping his human body from being too uncomfortable due to the multitude of insects. The Damned Door to Hell was only yards away now. Which meant he could start. Taking a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow (again, something the body felt and not him), he raised his hand and called to it his sword. In a glimmer reminiscent of a mirage, his flaming sword, mark of his calling and allegiance to his Father Most High, was in his right hand. His left, he aimed at the door. It rattled against the pentacle lock.  
                Castiel frowned, now truly realizing what his superiors expected of him. “A blending of human and angel.” When he ran the words through his head, ‘blending’ brought to mind one person: Keegan. “Perhaps not  _entirely_  human…” He closed his eyes, and oriented himself towards the east, briefly wondering if Dean would consider what he was about to do ‘humorous’. After all, an Angel of the Lord performing a Pagan binding that he had seen a Fae woman perform once…a Fae woman who didn’t even dedicate herself to the same God as he did.  
                However, when he felt the rush of wind on his face, and then, as he faced south, felt the warmth of fire against his face, he knew he was on the right track. Two days later, under the full moon, the binding was complete. The first Devil’s Gate had been sealed. Permanently.  
  
 **  
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  
AUGUST 10th, 2021**  
  
                “That’s it, we’re out.” Dean announced, shifting the Impala into park. He then turned in the seat to face Keegan and Alec, who were bickering, as usual, in the back seat. Sam was ignoring them, having pulled headphones from  _somewhere_  and attached them to a barely working portable CD player. “You know what this means.”  
                “I don’t get why she’s got to hitchhike.” Alec whined, and Dean really,  _really_  wanted to slap him for sounding like such a brat. But, the kid had more than earned his keep halfway out of Arizona, by breaking into the border patrol’s headquarters and not only stealing half their seized contraband and some passes for the group, but knew the right places to look to get people to fence what they had stolen.  Sufficient to say, they were good with cash for a while. Sam, however, hadn’t been so keen on taking ‘drug money’. Alec had pointed out there wasn’t much else they could sell at this point, unless Sam wanted to start hiring himself out as a male prostitute (which had earned him points in Dean’s book). He also pointed out that he hadn’t taken the heroine, meth, or the really nasty new wave drugs that had been in the lock up, all of which had a habit of being one-hit killers.  
                As far as Dean was concerned, this area was morally grey at best, and not one he wanted to really deal with. They needed money, they got money. Those people were gonna buy it anyway. At least Alec wasn’t concerned with lacing their shit to keep them extra hooked. Come to think of it, at least Alec let them keep cash for food and clothes too…  
                Either way, cash was good, because now someone was going to have to catch a ride to the nearest gas station and then bring gas back.  Alec didn’t like that it was Keegan. Dean and Sam didn’t like it either, but…“She has the best chance at being picked up.”  
                Alec snorted. “Yeah, I know.”  
                “I can take care of myself, Alec.” Keegan half sighed, sounding vaguely annoyed.  
                “Ok, seriously, just fucking kiss her already and get it off your chest, cause this whole crush thing was cute, but being stuck in the car with the two of you for the past couple of weeks has just made it damn annoying.” Sam snapped, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Apparently his head phones weren’t blocking out the conversation as much as he had hoped.  
                Alec and Keegan both had nearly identical ‘deer-in-headlights’ looks on their faces, which Dean couldn’t help but snigger at.  
                “Without my brother trying to hook you up with  _our sister_ …Ease up, Alec. You’re kinda…an honorary Winchester yourself, by this point. God knows you’ve put up with enough of Sammy’s toxic-ness to have passed initiation.” Dean finished, waving a hand in front of his nose, as if to ward off the memory of the smell. However, his light hearted attempt to get Alec and Keegan to loosen up seemed to backfire, as both slid to opposite ends of the back seat, now putting as much distance as they possibly could between each other. After a moment, Keegan’s ears perked, much more of a tilt to her head then her actually moving her ears, and she suddenly was outside of the car. Alec looked like he wanted to open his mouth, but he kept his jaw firmly clamped shut.  
                It took only one try to get a trucker to agree to take Keegan as far as the nearest place to get gas: she  _was_  an X5 after all, and designed to be beautiful.  
                Four hours later, she was walking up the road with five red fuel containers strapped in a weird sort of back pack, and one in each hand, looking sweaty and tired.  
                “I thought you were catching a ride back?” Dean said, sliding off the towel he had placed on the hood of the Impala to sun. Not surprisingly, Sam and Alec had done similar; it had to be the feline DNA. Keegan looked disgruntled.  
                “You mean with Skeevy McSkeeverson? No thank you.”   
                “I hope you broke his fingers.” Alec muttered. Not to anyone’s surprise, Keegan nodded.  
                “And his wrist too. He was stupid enough to think I broke the first finger by accident.” Dean cleared his throat, looking at Sam. Sam glanced at him, raising his eyebrows. Dean jerked his head in the direction away from Keegan and Alec. When Sam glanced back at the two—and saw them hug—he turned away.  
                “Dude, don’t cock-block the man just cause he looks like me.” Sam hit Dean in the shoulder.  
                “I’d think you’d be more worried about your little sister.”  
                “There are worse people she could be with. I mean, look at Logan.” He gave a fake shudder, and then decided that was more than enough time for the two of them to have a ‘moment’. “Ok, kids, fuel her up, and let’s get going!” He turned just in time to see them break apart, both looking rather in shock, blushing, and moving forward. Ok, maybe he had underestimated the awkwardness factor in this plan.  
                Sam just gave him a look and headed back towards the car, ruffling Alec’s sweat slicked hair just to piss him off.  
                They were on the road, Sam, Alec and Keegan arguing over the map, in under fifteen minutes.  
                “Seriously, guys, just give me the direction at least, because otherwise I’m pulling over again.” Dean snapped, glancing at the trio, who were managing to argue over the seat and still bump him.  
                “We need to figure out the most likely headquarters for these…” Sam trailed off, rubbing his temple. “Damn, freakin’ tryptophan…we  _need_  more.”  
                “Take mine.” Dean said, fishing in his jacket for his pill bottle.  
                Alec raised his eyebrows from the back seat. “I  _know_  you get seizures worse than me, Butch. But it doesn’t look like you’ve touched your rations for at least a week.” Dean shrugged. “This is insane, man.” However, whatever else Alec was planning on saying was cut short by Sam groaning in pain, the pills falling, forgotten, from his fingertips.  
                Dean knew the burning smell that reached his nose was his Baby’s tires, but he didn’t care as he yanked the wheel to the side, pulling them off the basically empty high way.  Keegan had already jumped into the front seat, and had her hands on either side of Sam’s head, frowning. “It’s another vision. I thought these stopped.”  
                “So did we.” Dean said, somberly.  
                “Visions? Ok, no one said Sammy was delusional.” Dean spared a moment to hit Alec on the back of his head.   
                “The demon blood originally gave him visions…you know what? Remind me to give you the whole story when Sam isn’t—holy shit, is he bleeding?”  
                Sure enough, Sam’s nose had begun to trickle blood from the left nostril. Keegan shook her head. “There’s nothing I can do about this, Dean. Not my area, anymore.”  
                Dean, however, felt the compulsion to touch Sam, to lay hands on him, in a way that disturbed him. Everyone joked about his lack of impulse control, but this? This was different. He  _felt_  that Sam needed him…needed someone. “Move, Keegan.” She looked at him, obviously about to argue, but he pushed her out of the way, and oriented himself between Sam and the dashboard, Keegan obviously choosing to ‘port out rather than get squished.  
                He didn’t know what he was doing, but, laying a hand on Sam’s head, he suddenly  _felt_ **Sam’s**  pain. And Holy fucking shit, it  _hurt_.  And just as quickly, it was gone, fleeting, and he was floating. And tired. Very tired.  
                “Dean?” That was Sam. “Not that I don’t appreciate your concern, but can you get off me?” And  _that_  didn’t sound remotely like the position he had been in when he last had his eyes open…so he opened them again. He had collapsed forward onto Sam, one hand still cradling Sam’s head, and hastily shoved himself back into the driver’s seat.  
                Sam looked completely fine. However, everyone was staring at him like he had grown another head. “Look, man, sorry for the bromance there, I don’t know what happen—“  
                “You’re hand glowed, that’s what happened.” Alec said, leaning over the back of their seat. “You fucking touched him, and the shaking stopped, and he opened his eyes, but _you_  started to shake…and then you collapsed.”  
                Dean scoffed. “Yeah, whatever.”  
                “You healed him, Dean.” That was Keegan, and she mostly knew what she was talking about, Dean had to give her that.  
                “You think it’s another of those freaky Manticore powers?” He asked, masking his concern. Deep down, though, he had a feeling it wasn’t. By the looks on Alec and Sam’s faces, and the way Keegan was glaring at him, that wasn’t the case.  
                However, if Keegan knew anything, she was remaining mute on the subject, and Sam only said “I have no idea what they might have gotten up to.” Alec had concurred.  
                So, with now  _two_  freaky instances in about as many weeks, Dean was starting to get a little freaked out. Not that he’d ever let his family know, or anything.  
                When they stopped for the night, setting up their campfire about a quarter mile in the desert scrub off the highway, Keegan brushed by him. “I can’t answer to the first time, but the second time…you smelled like Cas.”  
                Dean stood there a long time.  
 **  
SEATTLE  
SECTOR 7  
AUGUST 10th, 2021**  
  
                Sometimes, living just outside Terminal City was damned boring. And, on days like today, Logan found that exceptionally true.  
                So far, none of his sources had come forward with any new leads, none of the old leads had actually lead to anything, and Eyes Only was on a bit of a hiatus. It wasn’t like he was in the tabloid business and could report things like Jo Harvelle had just announced she was officially dating Calvin ‘Sketchy’ Theodore, or that Ellen Harvelle had thrown out a rather unruly transhuman and X6 for bad mouthing the few Ordinaries who had braved the borders to shop in the newly opened mall; and then promptly tossed out two Ordinaries for making racist comments about the transgenics she had just tossed out.  
                Apparently, Eyes Only had been reduced to gossip.  
                So, when his cell phone rang, he was sincerely hoping it was Max, maybe with an update on the new researcher for the cure to their virus (more just to see her). The last voice he expected to hear was that of Donald Lydecker.  
                “Cale? You there?”  
                Logan sighed. “Yeah, It’s been a while.”  
                “I’ve been…tied up. Long story, rather not go into it. But I need a favor.”  
                “You want me to get Max.” He did not like this at all.  
                However, Deck actually sounded mildly amused on the other line. “No, no. Though I do hear she’s doing well for herself. I’m looking for a different group of transgenics. If they’re smart, they’re not in Terminal City anymore.”   
                Logan sat up in his chair, immediately more interested. “Why would they leave? It’s the safest place for them now.”  
                “Not for these four. Not with the Familiars looking for them.”  
                How much did Lydecker know? “Who are you looking for?”  
                “Well…that’s the hard part, three of the X5’s are supposed to be dead. I signed off on all three certificates too. And 494—Alec he’s going by, right?—he’s supposed to be Max’s second in command at TC…” Logan didn’t say anything, but thanked god he installed the micro recorder in his cell phone. “I’m looking for 105, 112 and 113. For three dead X5’s, they certainly grew up big and strong.”  
                “What makes you think they’re still alive? You signed their death certificates—“  
                “I’m looking at a picture of them right now…getting into a black, 1967 Chevy Impala. Ringing any bells, Logan?” Logan’s voice failed him. “So, you tell me where they all went, and I’ll work on figuring out how the two who died back in 2009 are fully grown, and why we never caught on that the 105 we buried in 2018 isn’t our real 105.”  
                “Why?”  
                “Because I need to help them. They caught White’s interest.”   
                Logan closed his eyes. He really hoped he was doing the right thing. “112 and 113 are Dean and Sam Winchester. 105 is their sister, Keegan. The three of them and Alec left TC the end of last month, and headed south. They’re tracking the Breeding Cult.”  
                Lydecker let out a low whistle. “They’re in way over their heads.”  
                “I think this time, you might be. They might actually have the advantage.”  
                “What do you mean?”  
                Logan sighed, thinking back to the day they left. To Castiel… “‘There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio…’” and he pressed the ‘end’ button. After a moment’s hesitation, he dialed Max’s cell phone. “Hey…you’ll never guess who I just heard from…”  
  
 **THE BORDER OF IRAQ AND IRAN**  
 **MID AUGUST 2021**  
  
                Castiel felt odd calling on the elements every time he started the angelic binding ritual, but, this time… He barely had warning before his form, physical and angelic, was suddenly not where it was supposed to be.  
                Glancing around, there weren’t miles of sand surrounding him, or entire populations of people infected by the darkness and evil radiating from the Devil’s Gates trying to kill him in the name of his Father.  
                He was in a throne room. In fact, he was in  _the_  throne room.  He had been here once before, centuries ago…  
 _:Castiel, this is the Fae for the next millennia. Meet Keegan.:_  
 _A brazen smile in an impish face, all iridescent skin, and glitter. If people had thought angels were hard to look at, they had clearly never seen a Faerie without the human body._  
                He shook his head, remembering his manners, and immediately dropped to one knee. “By the might of Heaven, I am Castiel, my host is Jimmy, my wards are Samuel and Dean Winchester, Alec McDowell of the X5 series, and Keegan of the Fae. By what will and purpose have I been summoned to the Summer Lands?” It never hurt to follow proper procedure.  
                However, the lilting laugh that reached his ears…that one surprised him. “Rise up, good angel, you have permission to look upon us.” He stood, keeping his head bowed until he had risen to his full height. It took longer than usual: his wings were physical, all black feathers and their full, bulky twelve foot wingspan, but he managed it with he hoped grace. When he looked up, he paled. The woman seated in the throne smiled at him, and there was malice in that smile, malice that was not meant towards him but still unnerved him. “We are Queen Mab. Welcome to the Unseelie Court.”


	10. Chapter 10

**UNSEELIE COURT  
STOP TIME  
**  
                “Welcome to the Unseelie Court.”  
                Castiel balked. Of everything he knew (which was quite a lot), how had it escaped his thoughts that, one, Keegan had been of the Dark Court of the Faerie (and easy thing to forget, as she  _was_  fighting on the side of angels) and that, two, any spell she may have used would have been with the permission of her Queen. His naive casting had obviously caught Mab’s attention.  
                He bowed again. “I thank you, your majesty, for your hospitality.”  
                “We must admit we were quite interested in why you used that particular binding…” Mab said, waving a hand idly, and a servant, a wisp of light only a shade or two darker than an angel’s true form, appeared beside her with a goblet floating above it. She grasped it and took a sip, her eyes never leaving Castiel, who knew better than to meet hers. Even though she wasn’t his Father, she was a  _very_  powerful being. “Especially since our servant in this time has lost her ability to call on the elements…it is a strange thing that an  _angel_  would do so.” She nodded to him, obviously waiting for him to speak.   
                “Forgive me, I do not know how much of the situation you are aware of.” He said, hoping he sounded tactful rather than stalling. His wings shifted behind him, and he mentally cursed this plane; he had no real practice with them being physical, and thus had a harder time hiding his moods.  
                Mab studied him, her eyes shifting in color much like Keegan’s had when she had still possessed her Fae abilities. After a long moment, she spoke, “We know that our Puck; Keegan was her mortal name, asked our permission to fight on the side of ‘Good’ against the rising of He Who Dwells Beneath. But, it is our nature to be neutral, for the Fae represent nature itself, the good and bad, the bright and dark; do not deny you are nervous in our presence, Castiel of the Angels: we are like the sea, and that comparison has been given on more than one occasion. Tell me, would you be more at ease with our Bright Court Brethren? We could arrange it, if you would like…though they concern themselves even less with the mortal realm then ourselves. The Seelie are much more like your higher Choir-ed brethren.”  
                “I am honored to be invited here, my lady. My nervousness is not meant as an insult.”  
                “Indeed. Shall we continue?” She didn’t wait for his answer, “Keegan was warned that, if she chose a side, she would be an outcast until such a time when she resumed her neutrality…however, she died in the process of defending one of your precious seals. And she was reincarnated back into her own blood directly…which, we are sure you understand should not have happened. But the war was won…and yet, she has not returned. It is true, then, that she is no longer Fae?”  
                “That is true, your majesty.”  
                “Is that why you would presume to use knowledge gleaned from her acquaintance for Heaven’s gain?”  
                “It was not meant as disrespect. I was called upon to re-bind the Gates of Hell, and Heaven’s way did not work. I thought of the one person I knew of who was blended…and was Inspired.” As he said it, he knew it was true.  
                Apparently, so did Mab. “You are a special one, Castiel. Were you not made by your Father Himself,  _I_  would have requested your affiliation to  _our_  court.” She sighed. “But, this is what we expected. If the Familiars win, all Nature will be in ruin. You cannot let this happen, Castiel. You are to be given a temporary place in our court…and all the powers that entitles. But, you must give Keegan a warning from us.”  
                “As your will.”  
                She leaned forward, and Castiel felt as if she was whispering in his ear: “Another is chosen to be Fae. Warn her, this is her last life.” He felt the ghost of lips on his cheek. “But give her this: Let it be a light to her, when all other lights go out.”  
                And suddenly, Castiel was back in the desert, his sword in hand, and wings shrinking back into shadow. Glancing at the doorway to Hell, he frowned, before closing his eyes and praying with all his might.  
                Across the world, Sam’s head hurt…and then Sam started seizing.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **MID AUGUST 2021**  
  
 _COMPROMISED: Emergency EVAC orders initiated.  
                UPDATE: Sending an Agent back, to retrieve files left behind._

  
**BARSTOW  
CALIFORNIA  
AUGUST 20th, 2021**  
  
                “Keegan, report in.” Dean released the button on the walkie-talkie, but heard no response. After glancing around, he saw Alec was still cursing everything under the sun after misjudging a ‘stable’ rock and falling ten feet into a mud pit. And Sam was a half yard away, poking at the remains of what seemed to be a large snake, but he was sure he didn’t see her. “Keegan, this isn’t funny anymore.”  
                “It was never  _meant_  to be funny.” He spun, and saw Keegan blink into existence right behind him. She was wiping dirt from her hands and looking vaguely miffed. “Dropped my com down a hole…well, dropped myself down it too, but obviously, I’m ok.” She shook herself. “These people did a lot of their rituals underground. Do you think that means something?”  
                “Nope.” That came from Sam, who had leapt a twenty-foot chasm to get to them. It was rather impressive that the Cult went through such great lengths to remove all evidence of their presence. He held in his hand the skull of the snake.  
                Dean wrinkled his nose. “Aw, gross, dude.”  
                Sam shot him a look. “Anyway, I realized something…remember when Alec and I were arguing over what type of snake we found at the ritual site?”  
                “Dude, whatever, just put the damn snake head away.” It seemed like it was watching him. Dean shivered.  
                Sam ignored him. “I think Ruby might have been right. This snake isn’t one I recognize. I mean, I’ll have Alec compare it—“  
                He stopped short, jumping back a few feet, and landing just shy of the edge he had leapt over previously. Dean had to blink twice to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Keegan just cocked her head to the side.  
                There, with her pale face and bright red hair, stood Anna. “Hi, Dean.”  
                “Hey. Wow,  _really_  long time no see. I thought you got accepted back into the angelic fold, or something.” Dean said, looking a little awestruck. Alec wandered up, and elbowed Sam, raising his eyebrows.   
                “Sadly, no. Well, not so sadly. No one’s under orders to kill me.” She gave Dean a sad smile. “I wish I could say I was just here for you, but I’m looking for Castiel.”  
                “Here for Dean? Dude, you hit it with an angel?!” Alec got not one, but two smacks to the back of his head from both Sam and Keegan. Anna turned to look at him, and Alec immediately stepped back, lowering his eyes. The only time any of them had seen him _not_  be some cocky smartass was when being bombarded with divine emotions.  
                Dean cleared his throat, face apologetic. “Sorry about Alec. We’re still teaching him to mind his manners. But Cas…” He let out a long sigh. “We haven’t seen him since last month. Said he was reassigned.”  
                “He went AWOL, came back, sealed the second Devil’s Gate, and no one’s seen him since. He hasn’t even reported for Revelation.” She said, looking worried.   
                “That’s bad.” Dean said.  
                “‘Bad’ is an understatement. We need to know how he’s…” She cocked her head to the side, as if listening. “You have company. I’ll keep you informed until we find Cas. Oh, and don’t hurt this guy too much…he does care about all of you.” And she did that disappearing thing that  _really_  pissed off Dean.   
                “Damnit!”  
                “Shush!” This time it was Alec who was wide-eyed and pale. He dropped down to a crouch, and pointed to his eyes.  Dean rolled his. :: _Someone’s coming._ :: Alec signed, his movements sharp in the military code.  
                “No duh.” When a small rock hit him square between the eyes, Dean resorted to the hand signals, :: _The girl…_ :: he paused…and Sam filled in A-N-N-A in American Sign Language, to which Dean nodded gratefully, :: _Said someone was coming._ ::  
                Alec shook his head. He pointed to his nose. :: _Scent. L-Y-D-E-C-K-E-R. Escape and Evade._ ::  
                Dean looked to Sam, who had a puzzled look on his face. However, Keegan made a low noise that, to their knowledge, could only be heard by X5s. All three looked at her.  
                :: _Got a visual. Coming up at 2 O’clock._ :: They all scrunched down, knowing their position had obviously been made before they had made him but unable to help the reflex to hide. Dean couldn’t help but sneak a glance over the rubble.  
                A chill went through his blood. He had seen that man before…back when he hadn’t known what was going on. It had to have been going on nine years ago…New York… The man had led the field op that had busted the bar him and Sam had been in seconds after they had ditched through the back door.  
                Well, he  _knew_  they weren’t there for the underage drinking.  
 _\--isn’t good, so isn’t good, if this goes sideways we are so fucked, just damned fuc—_  floated across his mind in Alec’s voice. Dean shook his head. Anna had said the guy cared about them. Time to see how much.   
                He stood.  
                There was a moment when he thought for sure he was going to get shot, but then there was the rush of  _Damnit, Dean!_  
 _My goddess, he’s stupid someti—_  
 _\--ke he actually **wants**  to go back to that hell?_  
                “Will you all just shut up for two seconds?” Dean snapped, shooting a glare at no one as not to give their positions away.  
                And of course, the voice of reason was the man holding a gun on him. “No one said anything, son.” Dean’s eyes snapped back to the white-haired man (Donald Lydecker, his Commanding Officer back at Manticore all those years ago, it was all coming back to him…), and was shocked by the silence he heard. He looked back towards where his family was hiding—  
 _This is so fucking insane—  
                --does he really think he won’t—  
                --drop down you ass!_  
                Dean found himself covering his ears against an onslaught that was in his head. It did nothing to block the voices.  _Why won’t it stop?_  He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder (he could barely think), and then he very clearly heard the sound of a safety being pulled back.  
                And there was silence. Glancing up ( _When did I fall?_ ), he saw Alec stood behind Lydecker, with his glock held firmly against the back of the man’s head. “You’re going to step back, slowly, and place your hands above your head. I’ll remind you this was a tactical exposure, and if you had  _any_  inclination of trying to disarm me—“ Alec gave a humorless laugh that sounded eerily like Dean’s, “Just remember, you’re in no way faster than me. And if you  _did_  manage some successful attempt, you have no idea how many there are in this unit.”  
                “Four.” Lydecker said, doing as he was asked, looking completely composed.   
                Alec’s eyes widened, but his hand never moved, and he remained outwardly calm. “Good guess. So you’re working with the Cult now. Give me one reason why I don’t blow your head off.”  
                “I didn’t send you on that mission, 494.” That caused Alec’s lip to curl, and he pulled back the gun, landing a blow to the back of Lydecker’s head that dropped the man like a stone.  
                But, Lydecker was obviously made of harder stuff than the usual people they dealt with, and he was still conscious. Alec didn’t seem surprised when he yanked the older man up by his hair and growled, “My  _name’s_  Alec.” Before slamming his face into the ground.  
                Dean was up before Alec had a chance to do it again. However, physically restraining his clone was not as easy as he remembered. Maybe it was the fact that Alec had never truly fought either of them all out; he’d often remind them that he had ten years of training on both of them, but Dean suspected it had something to do with the force of _hate_  radiating off him.  
                “Sam! Keegan!” Dean suddenly felt a sense of vertigo, and realized it was because Alec had just launched him over his shoulder. Sam barely got a hand on him before he went flying dangerously close to the ledge they had been skirting around, but Keegan—  
                She was smaller, and faster, and dodged under Alec’s wild guard, managing to get one wrist into a rather painful looking wrist lock before he back handed her.  
                Her yelp of pain was what startled him out of it. Cradling his apparently broken wrist, Alec reached for her, but she rolled away, moving to help Dean up, since Sam was already half way to his feet.  Alec took one look at Dean,  _I’m sorry_  floated across Dean’s mind  _very_  clearly, and Alec turned, heading towards the car. As he walked away, the voice that was Alec faded from Dean’s mind…  
                But Sam and Keegan were still  _thinking_  and  _way_  too much. “Guys, seriously, Anna said he was cool.”  _Just in not so many words…_  he thought, swallowing hard. “Go…I dunno, wait by the car and make sure that Alec doesn’t do anything stupid.”  
                He rubbed at his temples, grateful that, for the moment, Keegan and Sam were actually listening to him. He looked back at the man who was slowly pulling himself to his feet. “I’m sorry about that…not sure yet if I should be, but, to be honest, I don’t remember you…from Manticore, at least.”  
                Lydecker rubbed his head, looking like he was in pain. At least his nose hadn’t smashed when Alec had slammed him into the ground. “I didn’t have much contact with your unit. Two of your number where considered ‘failed experiments’.”  
                Dean raised his chin a little. “You mean Keegan and Sam.” When Deck nodded, Dean shook his head. “You know, I gotta hand it to you. You’ve got some kind of balls messing around with people like us.”  
                Lydecker didn’t seem fazed as Dean paced around him. “I helped make you.”   
                Dean just laughed. “That’s not what I mean. You stepped right into a fight far bigger then who’s pissed at the good U.S. of A.” He stopped his pacing, the man had come armed with only a knife in his boot and a gun tucked in his waist band, both obvious to Dean’s trained eye, and both useless at this range against his superior speed and strength. The man carried himself like a threat, though, and that’s why Dean wasn’t off his guard. After all, they  _had_  just run into Ruby…and they hadn’t thrown holy water on the bastard yet.  
                “You mean that whole demons thing.” Lydecker made the word sound like a curse, and Dean had to give the man some credit, he certainly wasn’t acting scared. “You can’t honestly tell me you believe that crap.”  
                “Crap?” Dean chuckled. “Man, I  _lived_  it. Before the whole waking up an X5 thing. Which is why you’re here isn’t it. Finally caught wind that some of your precious transgenics didn’t  _really_  die.”  
                “It did catch my eye.”  
                “Well, I’d say you’d have to take that up with the complaint department Upstairs.” Dean said, pointing skyward. “Though, I don’t think that’s the direction you’re going, especially not the way Alec tells it.” He pushed himself off the rubble he had been leaning on, and stepped closer to Lydecker. “You got your freebies, why are you here, following my _family_?”  
                Lydecker glanced towards the car, the Impala was gleaming a couple of meters off with Keegan, Sam and Alec leaning against it, watching the two. He looked back at Dean. “She your mate?”  
                Dean chuckled and glanced at Keegan, before looking back at Deck, laughing. “Oh wait, you’re serious?” Lydecker nodded. “Oh no. No, no, no. Keegan’s…Keegan. She’s…” he paused. “That’s none of your business and what the fuck is it to you anyway?”  
                “You’re an Alpha.”  
                Dean didn’t have to pretend not to be impressed. “And that is…”  
                “You were bred to be the leader of your unit. We tried, in the earlier models, the 100 through 300 series, to make the Alphas with a telepathic link to their unit…but that failed…except with you.”  
                This man was shrewd, and Dean wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. But, glancing over at his ‘family’, he came to a quick decision. “Ok, you know something about what’s going on with me. I know how we are alive. Fair trade.” He glanced back at the car. “I need the three of you over here, now!”  
                He tensed as they all moved closer, but, none of their voices filtered through his head. When Alec got close enough, though, he snarled. Dean wondered if 493 had acted like that before the kid had started killing for fun. “I know none of you are too happy about this, but I need Alec’s…ability. And I need you two here to make sure he doesn’t go buckets of crazy on us again.”  
                “Oh, that wasn’t crazy. I can show you crazy. That wasn’t it.” Alec deadpanned, his eyes never leaving Lydecker.  
                “Alec.” Alec just pulled his shoulder out of Sam’s grip and stalked to the farthest he could possibly go while still being able to sense Lydecker’s emotions.  
                “I’m gonna go on the record as saying I  _hate_  this plan, Butch.”  
                “Shut it, Pretty Boy.” Dean looked back at Lydecker, who was watching Alec with something that looked oddly like knowing in his eyes. “Ok, first things first. What was that all about?”  
                “My business, stay out of it!” Alec yelled. Dean ignored him.  
                Lydecker, however, took the middle road. “He was sent on a mission that was particularly brutal in the way of sending a message. His cover involved emotional attachment, and then orders were given to eliminate the target and his cover. He failed his mission. The Reindoctrination was especially hard on him. I argued to send another unit on the mission.” He looked back at Alec. “I would have never sent you on that, not after what happened to your twin.” Alec’s face was a war of emotions, but, whatever Lydecker meant, it must have rang true, because after a moment, Alec deflated. “Apparently your empathy is more than we expected.”  
                “Or he was smart enough to hide it from you.” Sam said, stepping in front of Alec to block him from Lydecker’s view. “Dean, can we move on? I really don’t like this.”  
                Dean nodded. “You were Commanding Officer of Manticore till May of 2020, and then you disappear. Don’t ask where we got the intel, just tell us where you were.”  
                Lydecker’s face was a mask. “I was captured by the Familiars from October of 2020 till earlier this month, when I escaped.” Dean glanced towards Alec, who nodded, still glaring. “How did you and…Sam manage to ‘die’ and yet be living out here?”  
                “Well, that’s a hard one.” Lydecker made no move to change his question. “Damnit, Sammy.”  
                “Someone in Heaven decided that we’re not done. When we…died, they brought our bodies to you…where you cloned us… We don’t know how they killed us in your records…if you actually end up going to Heaven, you can ask them how they did the rest.” Lydecker nodded slowly.  
                What the hell did it take to rattle this man?  
                “What was here?”  _That_  got Lydecker’s attention, and he looked back at Dean, raising his eyebrows.  
                “Isn’t it obvious? It was one of the Cult’s bases of operation. How did she end up in two places at once?” He asked, pointing at Keegan.  
                Keegan sighed. “That’s way beyond you’re pay grade. As far as you know, I’m good at being two places at once.” And just to prove that point, she vanished from where she was standing, and reappeared behind Dean. “I think this is stupid, and you’re leaving us exposed.” She whispered before ‘porting back to where she had been. Dean ignored her.  
                But mostly, because he thought he had the killer question. “Why should we believe that you’re here to help and not to set us up for the Familiars?”  
                That caused Lydecker to look away, down at the ground, anywhere but at them. After a very long moment, he looked back up at Dean. “Alec probably remembers the drill sergeant CO of the base, the one who wanted perfection from his soldiers….the truth is, I loved my kids…I still do. I saw the potential to eliminate  _wars_ , and sometimes it…it hurt to have to take away everything that made you anything other than a soldier…” He squared his shoulders. “But, there is a group, who we inadvertently used their knowledge, who wants to destroy not only my kids, but the entire world. I wanted to _end_  war…not wipe out existence.”  
                “It’s true…but tack on the US back in power.” Dean looked sharply at Alec. “Oh, I’m not stealing your tele-whatever, but every Solo Mission we were sent on involved taking out the United States’ biggest competition overseas. There was a bit a patriot pride there you left out, Lydecker.”  
                “Guys…”   
                “What now, Keeg—“ Dean stopped mid-sentence, because there was a fist flying at him. He easily ducked, striking out with a leg to bring his attacker down, but the leg wouldn’t budge. He looked up.  
                “I don’t believe we’ve met.” Said the man with the shark-like eyes.  
                “White.” Lydecker hissed, going for his gun. Dean spared a moment to curse himself for _not_  checking to see if Lydecker had been followed before leaping into battle with the government agent.  
                However, the agent, apparently, wasn’t packing. He just walked towards Dean, smiling, and holding his hands in almost an offer of peace. “I’m Ames White.”  
                “We know!” Alec yelled, just as he dropped on the guy from a leap that took him twelve feet in the air. White went down, but didn’t stay down. With an almost ease, he tossed Alec to the side, and started after Dean again.  
                And the voices of Sam, Alec and Keegan were—  
                A quick glance at Keegan confirmed that the silence he was experiencing was her doing. She was staying well away from White, perched high on a pile of debris with Lydecker next to her, looking green and nauseas. She must have teleported him up there with her. She had also taken his gun, and was trying to get a bead on White—  
                Sam was in the way, trying to keep White from getting too close for the blows that hurt more than the no-holds-barred punches they had given each other, but was failing. The guy just didn’t seem to feel anything they did—  
                “Sam!  _Hurt_  him!” Sam was startled. The moment allowed White to get a blow to the jaw that sent Sam flying backwards and into Alec, who had just climbed back out of the hole he fell into. And Dean was left staring down the man who had been hunting them down. “Well…I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”  
                “We wouldn’t have been, seeing as you’re transgenic filth…supposedly  _dead_  transgenic filth at that too.”  
                “Tsk-tsk. Name calling on the first date.” He ducked as White came at him, this time able to sweep out the guy’s leg and send him sprawling into the dirt. “You need manners, dude.”  
                “You need to die.”  
                “Not that witty.” Dean ducked, he was faster than this dude, but not stronger, and then White just froze.  
                Sam was holding a hand out towards him, his fingers flexing almost involuntarily.  
                “We need to get outta here, they don’t feel pain!” Alec said, grabbing Dean by the arm. Dean wasn’t sure when he had gotten there; the fight with White had danced him around a lot, but now he was being pulled steadily towards the Impala.  They both froze in their tracks when they heard a cry of pain…coming from White.  
                Glancing back, Dean saw White was on his knees, and Sam was clutching his head with his free hand; fighting Samhain all those years ago sprung to mind; and White’s skin _pulsed_  as if the blood was boiling just under the skin—  
                “SAM! Stop it!” The screech came from Keegan, who had given up shielding, and ‘ported next to Sam. She was tugging on the arm he was holding his head with. “Stop it now! You’re doing what  _they_  did! You aren’t  _them_!” Sam ignored her, focusing on White more, causing the screaming coming from the man to increase. “Sam! You’re acting like a _demon!_ ”  
                That got his attention. His concentration broke, and he weakly looked at Keegan, who just wrapped her arms around him, and ‘ported him back to the car. Dean noticed Lydecker was already there, staring back at the scene with something akin to horror on his face. Now pulling Alec along, Dean ran for the car, hopped in, and seeing Sam, Keegan and Lydecker in the back seat, and Alec to his right, floored it.  
 **  
CHINA  
MID AUGUST 2021**  
  
                Castiel breathed a sigh of relief as the Door glowed…and then was encased in vines, and dragged back into the earth. Another door down.  
                He knew his superiors were looking for him…but could he face them? He had accepted powers, abilities from a source other than his Father…  
                Was his faith wavering?  
                He heard a voice (Anna), and closed his eyes, willing her not to find him. When she walked into the clearing where the Gate to Hell had once been, she looked right past him.  
                A moment later, she unfurled her wings, and took off, her visage disappearing to his body’s mortal eyes the second her wings had appeared, but his angelic sight more than making up for it.  
                He would face them, and her, soon. Until then…he needed to think…  
                And tell Keegan the bad news.  
  
 **RIDGECREST**  
 **CALIFORNIA**  
 **AUGUST 21st 2021**  
  
                “…which is why I suspect the ability only manifests itself when you or your unit is in danger.” Dean stared at Donald. Don stared at Dean.  
                “That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve heard in a long time.” Dean announced.  
                “This is coming from the man who just told the receptionist his family does construction, hence why they were covered in blood and dirt.”  
                Dean did have a grudging amount of respect for the man. So did Sam who stood, glancing through the papers that Lydecker had handed them after they had bunked down in the motel for the night.  
                “So, you actually programmed situational telepathy into Dean’s genetic code?” Sam asked, ever the geek boy.  
                “It just needed the right catalyst.” Lydecker said. “Apparently.”  
                “I’m betting it was that crazy ass spell demon bitch used on us.” Alec said, though it was garbled around a mouthful of chicken. Keegan gave him a distasteful look, and tossed a napkin at him. He just shrugged and continued to eat, shooting distrustful glances at Lydecker every couple of seconds.  
                “Chew with your mouth closed, please. And I think it also has something to do with the fact that Dean was yanked outta Hell by Castiel. Probably residual angel—seriously, Alec, you’re gonna make me gag.” Alec grinned around his full mouth, and closed it, chewing a couple times before attempting, and failing, to swallow. Keegan got up, and hit him in the back, so he finally choked it down.   
                “Serves you right.” Sam muttered, before turning back to Dean, “He picked that up from you.”   
                Dean pretended to look offended. “I don’t eat like that!”  
                “Boys, please.” Sometimes, when Donald spoke, it really reminded him of a quieter version of his father. “So, besides that, and a strong bond to your unit, those are the only side effects of being an Alpha.” Don grabbed his soda, taking a sip. “We never got a lot of results on the Alpha project because it was disbanded after our one successful Alpha led his unit to freedom in ’09.”  
                “X5-599.” Dean said, frowning. “Great.”  
                “He managed to get all of them out of Manticore and underground before we could find them. I personally admired him for that.” Donald said, glancing back down at his untouched food.  
                Dean wasn’t feeling very hungry either.   
                “But he’s always been like that.” Sam said, around a mouthful of chicken. Keegan glared at him reproachfully, and he chewed and swallowed before continuing. “Since Dad…” He trailed off, picking at the drumstick instead.  
                “Maybe you were born to be an Alpha.” That was from Keegan, who also hadn’t touched her food, despite Alec’s attempts to make it seem like the food of the gods. “Some people are just born into it…it’s a thing. It happens.”  
                “I’ll take your word on that.” Lydecker said, watching her, wearily.  
                “You should. I’ve only had a couple of centuries to watch that.” She said. Dean wondered if she was deliberately attempting to make Lydecker uncomfortable.  
                “You know, I can’t stay with you, but I did want to make contact.” Deck said, folding the paper napkin he had tucked into his shirt. The entire mood of the room shifted.  
                “What do you mean.” Dean said, his voice dropping. He didn’t like people surprising him, especially after he saved their asses. He figured Deck still owed them…especially after they took it on faith, and didn’t leave him there for White to drag back to the Cult.  
                “Four X5s operating as a pack? I can’t keep up with you.” Lydecker said, chuckling a little. “For the first part, all of you only need four hours of sleep a night…and can go days without if need be. I’d be sloppy. And I’m old, I won’t be as sharp on my best day, I could get you killed.”  
                “That’s not true.” Alec said, swallowing a mouthful of mashed potatoes. “No, no, the part about him getting us killed, that  _could_  be true. But the sleep thing varies by what you threw into our cocktail. Remember, Lydecker, you’ve only got two standards here, and even by that standard, we’re not standard.”  
                “I don’t even wanna know how you know how long Keely needs to sleep.” Dean said, making a face. Alec threw a piece of bread at him.  
                “This lovely KFC is going to waste on a food fight. Do you  _know_  how much that shit cost?” Sam whined. Alec suddenly jerked his head up, and focused his attention on Lydecker. The look on his face was unreadable, and Dean made a mental note to ask him about it later.  
                “Sorry, Sam.” Dean said, smirking. “I say fall in, get some sleep, and we’ll find you a way to Terminal City in the A.M. And don’t give me that look, Sam, cause the safest place for him is with Ellen and Jo, and you know that Miss Bit—er…Max will want to keep a close eye on him anyway. I’ll just have Sam call her first.” Sam groaned, and Alec let his head drop to the table.  
                “Have I mentioned I still haven’t forgiven you for telling her to blow up the genetic samples and thus forcing me to be her breeding partner? Cause I haven’t.”  
                “You were slated to be euthanized.” Sam snapped his head up to look at Deck with shock, Dean just gave him an appalled look.   
                Alec just shrugged from his slumped position. “I knew the psychiatric committee wasn’t fooled that second time.” He looked up. “Lemme guess, you also noted that I was an ‘excellent breeding stud’ or whatever too.”  
                Lydecker actually smiled. “No, I honestly didn’t have much say in that whole thing at all. But, I may have heard a rumor.” Alec’s eyes went wide, and he dropped his head to the desk so hard the wood cracked. Dean gave a sympathetic wince at the sound.  
                “Oh, I gotta know.” Keegan said, leaping from her seat and sitting at Lydecker’s feet in one fluid motion.   
                Alec made a feeble groaning noise, before pulling his head up. “And I thought gossip had no place on a military base!”  
                “Alec.” Sam said, sounding like he just thought of something, “You ever think that they may have just told you that because you never shut up?” Sadly, Alec was too busy being offended by Sam to notice that Donald Lydecker had to cover his mouth to keep a grin from appearing. Dean, however, caught it, and shared a glance with Keegan, who just shook her head.  
                “Some of the officers assigned to guard the rooms used to comment when superiors had an eye for a certain Unit.”  
                “Not Renfro.” Lydecker didn’t say anything else, but the unsaid hung heavy. Everyone, save Alec, started snickering. “No chance of forgiveness.”  
                An hour later, Dean was still awake, on first watch. Lydecker had fallen asleep on one of the beds; Sam was passed out on the other. Keegan was on the couch, curled up with her head pillowed on Alec’s leg, dozing. Alec, was watching the small tv. He hadn’t spoken since Lydecker had teased him, at least not above a whisper to anyone aside Keegan, which was only twice that Dean had seen.  
                Something was bothering the X5, something that was deeper than the memories fire conjured up for him. Dean stood, and sat quietly on the arm of the couch. “Hey, man.”  
                Alec didn’t look up. “What, Dean.”  
                “You seem off.”  
                “I’m always alright.”  
                “Bull.”   
                Alec’s eyes flicked to him momentarily, but his head still didn’t turn. “Yeah, ok, coming from you, Butch.”  
                “You sensed something when we were bickering about the food. What was it?”  
                “Nothing.”           
                “Stop.” He grabbed Alec’s lapel, and  _that_  got his attention. “Lying.”  
                He glanced down at Keegan who was actually asleep, and looked like he was choking back a lot of pride and not happy about it. “I felt Lydecker’s emotions…and he felt…” He made that not happy face again. “He felt like he was part of a  _family_  and there was…” Dean let go of his shirt, and placed a hand over his—  
 _Familylovehomecompassionfearsavethemsavemykidssavetheworldsorrowguiltlovepridewanttodrinkcantdrinkcantgiveinsavethekidsproveimsorryprovetrustlovefamilyintruding_  
                Dean yanked his hand away, nearly overbalancing off the arm of the sofa. Alec looked shocked too. “What the hell did you just do?” He hissed, sounding much more himself.  
                “I…” Dean took a deep breath, and shook his head. “I have no idea.” He looked back at Alec. “Ok…I’m guessing that was what you sensed the first time…and no wonder you got that look…damn…” He made a face. “You know, for feeling that much—“  
                “—he sure keeps a blank face. Yeah…” Alec finished, nodding with that look of ‘well, damn’.  
                “So did he do that again when he teased you about that cougar hitting on you?” Dean snickered. “Heh, Cougar hitting on a panther.” Alec rolled his eyes.  
                “No…  _then_  I got a wave of…well, I guess fatherly pride…mixed with leftover emotions from his dead wife…and it made me…giddy. I felt drunk with the whole conflict…happens sometimes…but I think I projected, cause everything got…silly.”  
                “Yeah, I noticed that. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Keegan act so girly.” Alec chuckled, and got that  _look_ , and Dean rolled his eyes. “Please don’t tell me I’m gonna have to fucking lay down ground rules.”  
                Alec raised his eyebrows. “You know…unit leader my ass. ‘Dad’ is more like it.”  
                “Shut up. And get some sleep. You’ve got next watch.”  
                “Hey Dean…” Dean paused, halfway through standing up. Alec was looking at him, his eyes reflecting the light in that creepy way that, to this day, still unnerved him whenever he caught it in any of his brethren. It still brought up memories of shape shifters, and demons, and other foul things only given away because eyes are the windows to the soul. Alec blinked, and Dean shook himself out of his thoughts. “I’m scared for you, bro. Zack…”He shook his head. “He killed himself so Renfro would transplant his heart into Max. You’ve already killed and sold your soul for your brother…how are you gonna handle two more of us? And does it stay; do we become like a family group of wolves, and have the whole ‘pack’ shit? Like, seriously, where does Manticore’s influence on our lives end?”  
                Dean raised his eyebrows, looking between the two on the couch, and wondering exactly  _where_  the conversation had jumped from Alphas to the future…and decided to play it safe with ruffling Alec’s blonde hair.  
                “Dude, those thoughts are way too deep for right now. Go to sleep. Seriously.” He offered him his most comforting smile, the same he gave to Sam when they were little and the monsters were still under his bed and not at the end of his shotgun.  
                But…Alec did make him wonder…


	11. Chapter 11

**BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **MID AUGUST 2021**  
  
 _Engaged the four X5s and Lydecker at the debris of former headquarters._  
                _Mission status: Failed_  
 _Documents were missing, presumably Lydecker evaded scouts and had already gathered intelligence prior to the X5s reaching the location._  
 _Search in Progress: Sensitive material must be reacquired or destroyed. The four X5s and Lydecker are now top priority. They must be captured and eliminated._

  
**EUREKA  
CALIFORNIA  
AUGUST 25th, 2021**  
  
                “They’ll be here in the hour.” Sam said, hanging up his cell phone. Dean nodded—eyes flicking back to Lydecker, who was at the motel kitchenette making himself something more sustaining then the chips, soda and candy that they had been living on for the past two days.  
                They had called Ellen the morning after they had run to Ridgecrest, and while she hadn’t been overly pleased at picking up another refugee, the sudden explosion of gunfire that had cut the conversation short certainly helped bring her quickly to their side of the argument.  
                They called her after they had regrouped; Sam and Dean had drawn off their attackers in the much more noticeable Impala, while Keegan ‘ported Deck and Alec one at a time out of danger, Alec first so he could steal them a car to meet at the rendezvous.  
                When they got there (first open motel in the 2008 phone book, under James Kirk, which was Alec’s idea), Lydecker had made a rather heartbreaking observation; The Familiars were probably tracking the Impala. Classic cars were remember-able pre-Pulse, but post, they were almost nonexistent. It had been how he had found them at the former Cult headquarters in the first place.  
                So, when calling back Ellen (who had wisely gotten Max and their head of security, Dix), they also requisitioned Keegan and Alec’s bikes, and a passenger vehicle with tow.  
                Dean was not happy to be leaving his Baby in anyone else’s hands even if it was for a good reason. Despite assurances that no one but Ellen would drive it, Dean  _still_  refused to get off the subject until Logan had gotten on the line and assured him that, as soon as she got back to Seattle, the Impala would be locked safe in his reinforced garage.  
                The rest of the conversation had been setting up the exchange; Max and Logan would be coming along, because Max was (as Alec put it) ‘a control freak’, as well as Ellen and Jo, and a small security detail. No one from TC seemed to trust Lydecker that much.  
                Lydecker, when he was apprised of the arrangements, didn’t seem surprised. As usual.  
                “You did get something for us to drive, right? Because I’m not sure I could really fit on one of their motorcycles, not to mention, we don’t know how to drive them…” Sam seemed to have a hard time believing that Dean had requisitioned more than just the bikes. “And I don’t have a license for a bike—“  
                “Neither do Keegan or I. Well, legally.” Alec piped up from where he was sprawled on the floor, with a hand drawn floor plan of the motel, going over last minute details. “You gotta drive by  _feel_ , Sammy. You’ll get it after the first time you skid out.” He finished, grinning rather evilly.  
                Sam gave Dean his ‘I told you!’ look, but Dean waved a hand at him. “I requisitioned a passenger vehicle to fit four plus a tow. It was those two who wanted their crotch rockets.”  
                “Dissing my bike?” Keegan asked, slipping through the door. After checking behind her, she closed it. “Dust rising from the north road, that’s probably them. And just because you need a roof, and walls, and a  _seatbelt_  to go fast…”  
                “Makes a great weapon too.” Alec said, not looking up.   
                Dean shook his head. “Nothing you can say is gonna make me feel any better about leaving my Baby, or drive one of those things.”   
                A little under an hour later, the four genetically enhanced Winchesters all looked up. Lydecker sighed. “They’re here?”  
                “How’d you know?” Asked Sam.   
                Deck gave him a small smile. “I’ve spent more time around you kids then anyone, do you really think I wouldn’t pick up on the tells when you kids hear something I don’t?”  
                When the distinct sound of a car parking out front reached even Lydecker, Keegan ‘ported her and Alec to a spot on the roof hidden in shadow, to be safe. A second later, they were back. “It’s them.” Alec said.  Nodding, Dean stood and headed out the door. Sam followed, tailed by Lydecker, Alec and Keegan.  
                Outside, it was hot, but Dean hadn’t expected it to be  _that_  hot. But, looking more uncomfortable then him (if that was possible), was a crowd of people; Ellen, Jo and Sketchy, flanked by Max and Logan, plus Dix, Luke and Mole, and Arctic Division transhuman whose name Dean didn’t know, and two ‘09ers, Jace and Syl. Dean knew that Syl was only there because Max was making her; she looked eerily like Meg Masters, which had caused Dean and Sam both to be rather cool with her, which, in turn, didn’t lead to her liking them too much, and wasn’t surprised with the rather cool ‘hello’ he received from her.  
                Of course, though, Sam had to bound up to Ellen like an overgrown puppy, “Hey, Ellen!” After releasing her and Jo from their mutual hug, (and giving everyone else their hellos) he joined Dean in standing, arms crossed, giving Sketchy the ‘I’m her big brother’ glare, at least until Alec pushed his way between the two of them.  
                “Damn fine blonde too. Did you use the line—“ He managed to dodge Ellen and Jo’s swats at him, but not Keegan’s, who appeared directly behind him.  
                “I see you’ve been a worse influence than usual.” Ellen muttered to Dean, who put on his best ‘Who me?’ face. “Don’t try to con me, boy. Anyway, here’s all the info I could dig up on ‘snake demons’, its mostly biblical (as if we weren’t expecting that), so I included some contacts from the old Roadhouse who are still around.” She handed Dean a folder before walking past him, to Donald Lydecker, who was hanging back, unsure (and rightly so). “I’m Ellen. You’ve already met my kids, and this is Jo, my daughter. I’ve got a couple of ground rules before you get in Dean’s car, let alone near Max’s city, so hear me out.”  
                “Oh, here we go.” Came from several different directions, accompanied by many pairs of rolled eyes.  
                “One, we use names, not designations. Two, there is no us and them. There’s just us. Three, you don’t follow my rules, I turn you out, and you end up in a cell or worse. You turn traitor on me or mine, and be damned certain I don’t have to be a transgenic to be the first to put a bullet between your eyes.” She broke out in a wide smile. “So, what's your name, Hun?”  
                There was no wonder Lydecker looked overwhelmed. Max looked like someone had spoiled her (still unknown) birthday. “Donald Lydecker.”  
                “Well, hi, Don. Give the kids a while to warm up to you, don’t start any of that Manticore business, and we’ll all be good.” Ellen stepped forward again, extending her hand.  After a moment, Donald Lydecker took it, and broke into the first genuinely large smile any of them had ever seen.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **LATE AUGUST 2021**  
  
 _We found them. Mobilize the Phalanx._

  
**DESERT HOT SPRINGS**  
 **CALIFORNIA**  
 **AUGUST 27th 2021**  
  
                “What I don’t get is what  _any_  of this shit has to do with our demon.” Keegan groaned, tossing the files retrieved from Barstow back onto the table. Sam gave her a look, and picked up the file, leaning over to pass her his.  
                “You want to read through the biblical mythos on snakes and demons?”   
                She made a face, but chuckled. “It’s gotta be better than genealogical charts. I always sucked at that shit.”  _And its freaking boring as all hell…I’d much rather be with Alec…we could always--_  
                “WHOA! Stop that train of thought right there!” Dean yelped, leaping from the couch. “I love porn as much as the next guy, but my  _sister_  and my  _clone_ …oh shit.” His face paled. “Guys, we’re under attack.”  
                Keegan gave him a look. “Dean, I know you’re paranoid, but how the hell could you possibly—“   
                Alec chose that moment to burst through the door just as a hail of bullets shattered the windows surrounding it. He dropped to the ground against it, covering his head until the burst stopped. “Guys! We’re under attack.”  
                “Don’t give me that look, Sam, I didn’t believe Deck either.” Dean said, tossing him his gun. He made to toss Alec his, but the X5 suddenly snapped his head up, body jerking. Sam dove to his stomach, ignoring the shattered glass and grabbed Alec, pulling him away to reveal that the damned bastards had shoved a shock stick  _through_  the door. “Oh shit, these fuckers are nasty. Alec, you with us?”  
                “Give—eh—give…me—ow!” His body was still twitching, and he couldn’t seem to keep his breath. Keegan appeared next to Sam, and carefully helped him move Alec behind the beds, where Dean had been making a barricade. So far, they had just sent that burst of fire, and stunned Alec. That didn’t bode well. They were obviously gearing up for something big.  
                “I don’t get it, this wasn’t the way White came after us.” Dean muttered, glancing over the barricade.  
                “Jam—Jam Pony.” Alec said, forcing himself up. “We f—fought them a—at Jam P—Pony. N—nearly kicked our asses.” He winced. “I—I think I’m doing better.”  
                “Bull shit.” Dean snarled, but he handed Alec his glock. “But we need to get out of here.”  
                “How?” Sam said, looking slightly panicked. “No rear exit. Really stupid on our parts.”  
                “Smart on our part, no one can sneak through the back. Besides, we can all squeeze through the air vent to the bikes and car—which you  _did_  park on the opposite side of the lot, right?” Keegan asked.   
                He didn’t even grace that with an answer. “Ok, then we move out, while they’re still figuring out if they should come in.” Dean said, and peered from behind the barricade to judge the distance to the air vent.  
                Luckily for them, the group outside seemed to be waiting for something, and it was behind the other bed, blocked from the door. “We can make that no problem. Grates even loose.”  
                “Ok, let’s go—“ Alec made to move, and collapsed instantly.  
                “Dean, he can’t move yet.” Sam said, grabbing Alec’s wrist and looking for a pulse. “His heart is still skipping beats.”  
                “I just got electrocuted, dumbass. I don’t think my heart would be dancing the polka.” Alec snarled.  
                “What do we do? We can’t—“ Sam paled. “Dean, no, we can’t split up.”  
                “I’ll try that heal-y thing I did before… but if that doesn’t work, we make for the grate. Worst case scenario; Keegan can teleport the two of them when he’s able to move. If they see we’re not there, they may assume all of us are out.”  
                “A lot of assuming there.” Keegan muttered.  
                Another round of gunfire came blasting into the rooms, and the three of them ducked, Keegan and Sam dragging Alec down again. “Ok, I’m trying this now.” Dean, still on his stomach, reached out and grabbed Alec’s arm.  
                He felt like his blood was boiling, like pins and needles were being pushed into every fiber of his being; that damned Raw head that had lead them to meet their first Reaper, last time he felt this level of pain—  
                He yanked his hand back when he felt his leg jump; they couldn’t afford two of them to be disabled. “Better?”  
                Alec was looking a little freaked out. “You’re really starting to scare me, Dad.”  
                “Oh do not call me that, can you move?” Alec tried to pull himself to his hands and knees, and this time managed it, but he was quivering. “Ok, Keegan’s gonna stay with you. Keep in touch, because we’re gonna go to ground for a little bit; these fuckers find us too fast.” He reached out and gave a one armed hug to Alec, and gave Keegan a kiss on the cheek, before tugging on Sam’s sleeve. “Next break, we book.”  
                “I don’t like this.” Sam complained.  
                “I know.”  
                “Guys, be careful.” Sam hugged them both, and, the very second there was a pause in the fire, Sam and Dean darted out, ripped off the air vent, and crawled inside.  
                “Move your  _ass_  Sam!” Dean hissed, pulling his feet through the junction they had just hit. He could still smell the gun smoke, which meant they were still too close to the room.  
                “I’m trying! You know, I’m bigger than the average X5.” He snarled, yanking himself forward. They continued on in near silence, just focusing on getting to the other side of the building.  
                They weren’t ready for the explosion.  
                Dean heard the whine of the grenade first, could hear it hit the broken glass in the room; they were still too fucking close; when a wall of heat and fire suddenly came roaring into the air vent.  
                Before Dean could shout anything, Sam flung one hand to the side, knocked out the metal wall of the vent  _and_  the wall of the room with his mind, and pulled Dean through and down. The fire and shockwave knocked the plaster from the ceiling and sent a blast of fire into the room, just a foot above their heads.  
                “Did they get out?” Sam demanded. Dean focused (he really wished he could control that telepathy as much as the healing), but all he got was silence.  
                “They could be out of range.” Sam gave him a look. “I think we’d  _know_  if they were dead.”  
                “We’re genetically engineered. Not psychics.” Dean gave  _him_  a look. “Ok, not all of us.”  
                “We need to get out to the car, check if the bikes are gone, and get the fuck out of here.” Dean stood, and made his way towards the window, careful not to move the curtain and just peer through the cracks. “They’re entering our room now. We better move.”  
                Very carefully, they opened the door, and snuck out, guns in hand, just in case. Dean was very happy to note that the two bikes were gone from the tow, so he unhooked it, and tossed his duffle into the back, and Sam did a cursory sweep, obviously looking for Keegan or Alec.  
                “Dude, they actually  _follow_ orders.”  
                “Doesn’t this hurt you?” Sam asked, slipping into the front seat, keeping an eye out for any of the people who were after them. “I mean, just splitting up? We’re going to ground, we don’t know if they’re even alive!”  
                “I hate it, Sam. But what else are we supposed to do? Unless you’ve got a way of throwing these assholes off our trail? No? Didn’t think so.” Dean closed the door as quietly as he could, and started the car.  
                He couldn’t help but glance back at the smoke rising, and send up a silent prayer that they were ok.

**NEVADA  
AUGUST 30th 2021**  
  
                “Let her go!” Alec was cursing himself for ever having his guard down. Granted, he had been forced to move with minimal healing done to a  _very_  shocked body, but to be  _this_ stupid…  
                The moment they heard the grenade, Keegan had grabbed him and ‘ported. However, she had been just a shade too late. Alec hadn’t known until they had made it three clicks from the motel; and Keegan had fallen off her bike, skidding along the road, and Alec had thought for one moment she had died—  
                But she was alive, and in definite need of medical attention beyond his field medic skills. Her bike, while scratched up and serviceable, would have to be left behind. Sloppily dragged into a ditch and torching it with the remaining fuel in the tank was enough to disguise what it had been. It was still a trail, and he knew it was, but he knew she needed medical attention more then he needed to worry about that…  
                Like he said, stupid.  
                “I’d shut up and listen, X5R-494. You’re going to do a job for me, if you want your girlfriend to live.” Alec clenched his fist on the cell phone in his hand, hating the distorted voice on the line. But he shut up. And he listened.  
                And when the man ended the call, Alec closed the phone, and looked up. Took in the destroyed motel room he’d rented when he took Keegan out of the hospital, after they patched up her most severe wounds. There was drying blood on the sheets of the bed; she must have torn her stitches…  
                For the first time in nearly a year, Alec sank to his knees and wept.  
  
 **TEXAS**  
 **SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                “I’m worried, we still haven’t heard from them.”   
                Dean squeezed his eyes shut and mentally cursed Sam in every language he knew, before turning and facing his brother. “We told them to go to ground. They’re probably enjoying time away from us. Dude, chill.”  
                “I just don’t get you! It’s like you don’t even care—“  
                Dean was up and had Sam pinned against the wall before he could finish his sentence. “I thought we had this clear  _years_  ago, Sam. I care. I care so much it  _hurts_ , and the only way I get through my day,  _Sam_ , is keeping good faith that they’re alright and just following orders.” He gave him an extra shove, before letting him go. “I know they’re gonna call soon—“  
                There was a knock on the door.  
                That was alarming for several reasons, the biggest being they were in an abandoned farm house, two miles from the nearest neighbor, and they hadn’t heard a car pull up. They had chosen it specifically so that no one could get the drop on them.  
                Silently, Dean motioned to Sam, and the two of them grabbed their guns, switched off the safeties, and headed towards the front door. Dean glanced up towards the window above the door, and Sam went up on tip toe to peer through. The look of relief on his face was all Dean needed, and he clicked the safety back on his gun, and whipped the door open.  
                Alec stood there, looking dirty, pale, and exhausted. He looked up at them, eyes flat, and Sam dropped his gun. Dean felt like the world was spinning. He grabbed the door jamb for support, then reached out and slapped Alec across the face.  
                Immediately, the disorienting feeling of  _nothing_  vanished, and Alec shook himself, his eyes seeming to focus a bit. He blinked. “Oh god, I’ve never been so glad to see you guys.”  
                “How did you get here?” Dean asked, looking past Alec to the driveway. Like he suspected, there was no motorcycle or car besides theirs.  
                “Ran out of cash in New Mexico. Couldn’t find any more gas to steal about ten clicks back. When you guys go to ground, you guys seriously go to ground.” If he wasn’t so tired, he might have been vaguely impressed.   
                “Where’s Keegan?” The dead look came back to Alec’s eyes and Dean wanted to punch something. “Alec, get in here and tell me what happened to Keegan.”  
                Sam moved to the side so Alec could walk past him, but frowned at Dean over his head. “Alec, do you want water or—“  
                “Milk, if you have any.” He sat down on the sagging couch, and nearly collapsed as his body seemed to give out on him. He, probably sensing Dean’s growing agitation, forced himself into a seated position again. “Keegan was late with the teleporting…she got caught in the blast. She hid it. Crashed her cycle, and… I  _had_  to get her to a hospital, Dean. I got her out before they did any blood tests, gave her the transfusions myself. She was gonna be fine, weak, but fine. And…I ran out to get food.” He looked…defeated.  
                Sam put a hand on Alec’s shoulder. Dean balled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to hit someone. “They took her.”  
                “Called me. Told me they had her, and that I had to help them or they’d kill her.” Dean rushed forward, grabbing Alec by his t-shirt and hauling him off the couch.  
                “What did you tell them.” He didn’t make it a question.  
                Alec met his gaze unflinchingly. “Of course. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to say no? They sent me to find you and kill you. You know I can’t do that, but I need help here.” Dean let him drop, and he sank back into the couch. “You know they’re gonna check up on this.”  
                “You know they’ll never keep the bargain.” Dean said, looking up at Sam.  
                “So we need a way to convince them we’re dead, and break Keegan out.” Sam shook his head. “How long did they give you, Alec?”  
                “Till the end of the week.”  
                “Damn,” Dean hissed, “You’re cutting this kind of fine.”  
                “Give yourselves some credit, I had to track you. I got top marks in Tracking, and it took me this long.” He smiled a little for the first time since they saw him. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was a start. “Most of it was by scent. I swear, you need to lay off the cologne, Dad.” Dean rolled his eyes.  
                “No jokes till we figure out who exactly is holding her, and how we’re doing this.” He said. “But first, speaking of scent, you stink, so go take a shower, get a nap, and Sam will make you something to eat…I gotta do something.” Neither Alec nor Sam questioned him, and both moved, Alec needing some help getting up from the couch, to do as Dean had suggested.  
                Dean waited until he heard the water start in the bathroom, and the sound of pans being moved in the kitchen before he sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands.  
                “You know, I hate this whole praying thing…but I also  _know_  you guys exist…” He sighed. “I could use a little guidance. Help would be awesome, but I don’t wanna push my luck.” He paused, staring at his hands. “Yeah, I would love to yell that you all owe me but…damnit, we tend to find ourselves involved even before you guys ask us. And you did stop us from being dead…and that being said maybe I have no right even asking for help…” He snorted, chuckling to himself. “God, I sound like an idiot. Well, yeah. Uh, Amen, or whatever.”  
                Giving another moment to bask in his  _eloquence_  (or lack thereof, he thought, bitterly), he stood, and went to go see if Alec needed anything.

**LOCATION UNKNOWN  
STOP TIME**  
  
                “ _…yeah. Uh, Amen, or whatever._ ”  
                “Call Castiel.”  
                “But, Zachariah…”  
                “You know what a true miracle is, Hamied? An atheist who truly believes, and is humbled, by the knowledge there is a God.” A pause. “Castiel needs to go to his wards. He can take a few days off for such a trivial matter. He’ll be back on task before he was missed.”  
                “But, sir, Castiel has been out of contact—“  
                “Sometimes I think we should make Revelation mandatory daily. I got tired of his hiding; I am of a higher Choir, and he is not as stealthy as he thinks he is; he is truly unique among our kind. I do not think our Father ever made another like him.” The voice was smiling.  
                “Sir?”  
                Another sigh. “Never mind.  _I’ll_  send him the message.”  
  
 **TEXAS  
SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                Dean wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but he must have, considering he just jerked awake. The air tingled around him, and felt heavy. Very heavy.  
                Sam was on the other bed in the room, sitting up groggily and wiping at his eyes. Alec was already on his feet, the covers knocked off the mattress he had on the floor.  
                Something was coming.   
                The small tv set in the room snapped on to static, and all three jumped. Dean started to go for the salt—  
                “Castiel!” The angel was right behind him, and Dean had to stumble a few steps backwards before he caught himself. “Dude! Sneaking up! Bad!”  
                “My apologies.” Castiel cocked his head to the side, taking in the three men as if to make sure they were alright. “I have been informed of your situation. My sincerest condolences for the grievances you have suffered.” He looked up, his gaze lingering on Alec, who couldn’t hold his gaze.  
                “So, you’re going to help us?” Sam blurted, eyes lighting up. When Cas nodded, Dean had to pinch himself. Alec looked like he was waiting for someone to yell ‘April Fools!’.  
                Dean couldn’t help but feel just a little skeptical. “You’re going to help us? Just like that?”  
                “You’re a valuable asset to us, Dean. You’re entire family is. And this is a simple matter, you asked for help in getting her out and making you appear dead. I am an angel.” His expression darkened. “And I will admit the idea of foiling these… ‘humans’ is very appealing to me.”  
                Dean raised his eye brows. “Damn. And I thought you didn’t like demons.”  
                “It is in their nature to be evil. These ‘humans’ were once my Father’s favored children, until they decided they knew better, and placed themselves as Lord of Who Lives And Who Dies.”  
                “The whole faith and loyalty thing.” Sam said. Castiel nodded. “Alright.”  
                “Then let’s get to planning.” That came from Alec, who made as if to grab for the limited research they had been able to glean from the clues in the phone messages.   
                Castiel, however, held up his hand. “There is no need for that.” And he was gone.  
                Dean spun in a full circle, before yelling, “I  _hate_  it when he does that!”  
                “What the fuck did he mean, that’s what I want to know!” Alec demanded. Sam shrugged. “This isn’t fair, I need to go after her—“  
                “He’s an  _angel_ , Alec. That’s out of any mortal’s league. Even the Familiars”  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                Keegan knew what pain was; one life time, she had been burned alive as a witch, another, pressed under rocks until her body gave out. But this…  
                For not feeling pain themselves, Familiars sure knew how to cause it. Especially when Ames White gave the order to have a full DNA work up done on her. She knew the pain from the spinal was more due to government incompetence than anything else, but coupled with the beatings, torture, and general shitty shape her body had been when she was taken… It was a helluva lot to take. But she bore it ( _never break, never tell them anything, you can make yourself forget_ ), and she would continue to until she was rescued or they killed her.  
                She’d already made her first escape attempt: teleportation was really handy for that. But, through either spectacular powers of deduction (which she highly doubted) or just to cause the most amount of discomfort, the walls were iron. Dense iron. At least she wasn’t about to be possessed while she was trapped; while she couldn’t get out, nothing unsavory of the supernatural sort could get in.  
                There was movement outside her cell, and she dropped her head back to the tiny cot they had tossed her on after their latest ‘work over’. Voices…oh, she could tell which one was Ames White in her  _sleep_  by now…  
                “She’s not like 452…but she has very little junk DNA herself. The problem is, we can’t figure out what the base pairs are coded  _for_.” That wasn’t White, that was one of his government flunkies who hadn’t caught on yet that this wasn’t entirely a government operation. She had never been more glad that she hadn’t been a citizen till they made her this life time; she could honestly say she had nothing to do with voting in these stupid people.  
                “Pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about, and explain it to me.”  _That_  was White. She lifted her head off the cot, freeing both ears for this exchange.  
                “Well, she’s completely X5 specific…it’s the coding for her  _specifically_  we don’t understand. It’s like…there’s a latent allergy to iron from what we can deduce; that was odd enough, we all have iron in our blood. We  _know_  one of the base pairs we can’t figure out must control the ability you observed in the field…the teleportation…we just can’t figure out  _which_. It’s like being handed alien DNA and being told to compare it to what we know…” The government lab tech sounded like he was absolutely salivating.   
                “So we’re back at square one.” Keegan knew that tone. She had heard it herself in the chamber down the hall, being worked over by him. He wasn’t satisfied…  
                A moment later, there was the distinct sound of a neck snapping. Keegan  _really_  didn’t think it was White’s. Then, there was a key being placed in her cell, and she forced herself to go as helpless, limp and injured as she could.  
                White stood at the door way of her cell, the folder containing the results in one hand, and a mild expression on his face. In the hallway, the dead scientist stared blankly at the opposite wall.  
                “I know you know more about this then you let on.” He said, even though she  _knew_  she hadn’t moved. “And if you honestly think that 494 is going to get you out of here—“  
                Her eyes snapped open as a  _very_  familiar scent suddenly flooded her nose above the death, metal and decay around her. She pulled herself up, and stared at White…  
                …Who was sinking to his knees, for Castiel had two fingers pressed against his forehead. “494 succeeded in killing 112 and 113. You were correct in your assumptions he would do anything for 105. When he met you at the rendezvous, you had him shot on sight. After being unable to discern the riddle of 105’s DNA, you had her executed, and went on with your day.” He said, calmly, but forcefully, and after every sentence, Ames nodded a little, eyes getting more and more dazed. Castiel gave him one final look, and the man collapsed to the ground, asleep. Castiel turned. “Hello, Keegan.”  
                “Been a long time since I’ve seen you pull that trick, Cas.” He gave her a small smile. “You’ve been Underhill.” The smile vanished.  
                “I do not think here is the best place for this conversation.” He reached out to her—  
  
 **  
TEXAS  
SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                --And they were in the middle of an old farmhouse, appearing directly between what appeared to be the start of a full out scuffle between Alec and Sam.  
                Alec’s jaw gave a twitch. And he lunged forward, grabbing Keegan with both hands. And he touched her face, her arms, her hair, as if assuring himself that she was really there, right in front of him. And, just as quickly, pulled her close into a hug, shoulders shaking even though he was trying to muffle his sobs into her hair.  
                Even Cas looked away to give them a moment.  
                Dean stared at him, slack-jawed. “Damn, you left, like, twenty minutes ago.”  
                “Forty.” Cas replied, turning to face him.  
                “Still, remind me again why you need our help? Like, with anything?” Castiel actually smiled, and stepped forward to place a hand on Dean’s shoulder.  
                “They were but Men. Strong, and resistant to pain, yes, but mortal and bound by the limitations of being human all the same. Even your kind, who draw their abilities from other creatures as well as human are but mortal.” He sighed. “We need your help because, though we are far superior in terms of abilities, we are lacking in the very things that make you so adaptable. Free will, for one thing. Thinking outside the ‘box’ as it were, for another. This cult… they were founded when Man was first cast from the Garden, when he was distrustful of angels and all that they represented. They have warded so long against us that it is in every ritual, though they know not the true reasons behind it. We cannot stop their activities in bringing about the demon…”  
                “But you can certainly disrupt their daily lives.” Dean said, a smile growing.  
                Castiel shook his head. “There are innocents entrenched in their lives, so we cannot interfere. There are only extreme circumstances that allow us to move on such a large scale…” He looked Dean straight in the eye. “And you cannot imagine the sheer scale that this Cult reaches.”  
                “You mean to tell me more innocents would be lost then wiping out an entire town to stop a seal from breaking?” Sam demanded, incredulous. Castiel nodded. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”  
                “I wish it were so. Now, I cannot stay much longer, I must return to my other duties—“  
                “You mean resealing the Gates to Hell?” Dean asked.   
                Castiel stared at him a moment. “Anna.” He breathed, shaking his head. “Yes, Dean, resealing the Gates of Hell. I’ve had to go…off the reservation as it were. Zachariah has been appraised of the situation. But, I must ask if those two are quite done.”  
                Dean turned, and glanced back at Alec and Keegan, who were still holding each other, though now Alec was keeping up a steady stream of what sounded like apologies. “Hey, kids!” Both of them jumped, and looked up towards the other three in the room. “Cas has to go. It’d be nice to thank him.”  
                “Yes,  _Dad_.” Alec quipped, a smile breaking across his tear-stained face. “Thanks, Cas.”  
                Keegan shook her head, chuckling. “Seriously, Castiel, I am indebted to you.” She gave him a slight bow, holding her hands out in front of her in something that looked like it was out of a court of olde. Castiel shook his head.  
                “There is no debt to be paid. Especially since I also bear bad news.” Keegan straightened almost immediately. “You knew I had been Underhill. I was summoned to see Mab.”  
                “Who?” Dean asked before Sam elbowed him.  
                “My queen…” Keegan said, barely glancing at him before looking back at Castiel. “Did she give you a message?”  
                “Yes.” He closed his eyes, like he didn’t want to give her the news. “Another Fae has been chosen. This life…it is your last.” It wasn’t surprising that her knees gave out, but, thankfully, Alec was still glued to her side, and he caught her before she hit the ground.  
                “What?” Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. Dean could swear he  _felt_  the horror and pain radiating off her. Sam looked like he did too. Castiel even winced.  
                “I am sorry, Keegan, I know this comes as a shock…but that is not all she said.”  
                “I don’t think she wants to know the rest.” Dean said, starting to walk forward.   
                Sam held up a hand. “Dean, in the old courts, they never gave bad news without giving something else to soften the blow, especially if the person in question was in high esteem. I think it might be a good thing.”   
                Dean made a disbelieving noise, and didn’t budge until Keegan asked, “What else?”  
                Castiel stepped forward, and, remembering the ghost of lips on his cheek, kissed Keegan’s. There was a feeling of warmth, and he stepped back. Her cheek was shimmering. “She said, ‘Let it be a light to you, when all other lights go out.”  
                There was a long silence. “What the fuck does that mean?” Alec demanded.  
                Castiel just turned his slightly sorrowful gaze on him. “I don’t know. I’m just the messenger.”  
                “Thanks, Cas.” That was from Keegan, who was now getting to her feet. She was smiling. “I at least know part of her gift.”  
                “Gift?” Sam asked, raising his eye brows. Keegan smiled, mischievously,  
                The candles they had lit for light suddenly flared three times their height, and then settled, snuffing themselves out. Keegan looked a little dizzy, but happy. “She deemed us natural.”  
                “You realize you don’t have your old power.” Cas said warningly.  
                “Dude, I’m just happy to be natural again! It’s like being able to breath!” She frowned. “Though, I’ve always hated riddles.”  
                “Riddles? Cas, when did you—damnit!” Dean spun in a circle, and then kicked the edge of the sofa. “I  _hate_  it when he does that!”  
                “I think the riddle was ‘Let it be a light to you, when all other lights go out’. I don’t think she literally meant the fire affinity.” Sam said, looking slightly miffed at Cas’ departure, but moving on.  
                “Isn’t that from  _The Lord of the Rings_?” Dean asked, settling himself on the sofa. Keegan grabbed Alec’s hand and dragged him towards the sofa as well, obviously getting ready for some serious explaining.  
                “Yes. That’s the point. True Faerie don’t do well with the whole original idea thing. They can build on them, change them, but coming up with something all their own…not very good at that. Mab’s Unseelie—dark court—so she’s more modern then our bright court cousins, who cut themselves off from humans generations ago…. But still, for Mab to blatantly misquote something like that…”  
                “Maybe she thought it sounded cool.” Alec said, one hand tugging on a corner of Keegan’s shirt.   
                “It’s gotta be something…a code…a clue…” Keegan’s face fell. “Shit.”  
                “What?” Sam asked, sitting on the wobbly coffee table.  
                “It’s a clue. We’re fighting a big bad evil cult desperate to raise their demon lord to full power and wipe out existence.” Everyone nodded, but said nothing. “Legions of Mordor…Sauron…”  
                “Wait, wait, wait.” Dean said, holding up his hands. “She gave us a simile?”  
                “No wonder you failed English like, five times.” Sam said, punching Dean’s shoulder. “She wanted us to draw the parallels between our current situation and the books.”  
                “So she misquoted a line? That kind of sounds like you’re reaching…”  
                “Dean, shut up and go with it unless you have any other ideas.” Keegan snapped, glaring. “Ok, so what did Sauron need to rise?”  
                “The ring.” That came from Alec, and he looked uncomfortable when everyone looked at him. “What? The last book had excellent battle strategy. I just…requisitioned the rest of the novels at Manticore.”  
                Dean, however, stood up, shaking his head. “We’re looking for the One Ring? Come on, we’ve indulged this particular bout of lunacy for long enough. You know who’s good at riddles? Dalton. Let’s call him.”  
                “Dude! The fucking ring is a clue! The cult needs a specific artifact or relic to raise the demon!” Sam said, looking like he was seriously contemplating strangling his brother.  
                Alec stood, and walked to the desk where they kept all the files they had salvaged from the attack on them. “There  _are_  several dig sites in their records…”  
                Dean stared at them all, incredulously. “So, if she had quoted Harry Fucking Potter, you all would have gone looking for a fucking Horocrux?”  
                “Why am I just not surprised he’s read that?” Sam muttered, apparently to himself.  
                “Guys, seriously, think about what you’re talking about. You just leapt from fantasy to reality.” Dean pleaded.  
                “And  _you_  confuse reality and porn all the time, and we don’t question your ideas.” Dean glared at Sam. Sam glared back. Finally, after realizing that Sam wasn’t going to give on that point, and that, hey, everything else in this world was fucking crazy, so why the hell not, he threw his hands up.  
                “If it doesn’t correspond with any evidence we have here, we’re scrapping the idea.” He watched as Keegan and Sam rushed to join Alec at the desk, and just shook his head.  
 _Remember when our idea of a crazy lead was a monster truck? Yeah, I don’t either._  He thought to himself, before heading over to join them.  
                It was going to be a long night.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                “Sir, are you sure—“  
                “Get off me, I’m fine!” White flung an arm out, and the medic jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. White ignored him, figuring he got his point across.  
                He had just woken up in the medical lab, having apparently passed out from overwork. If that wasn’t a steaming pile of bull shit, he didn’t know what was. But, he had been productive. 494 had exceeded expectations, and they had then taken out the lovesick freak, and his genetic anomaly of a bitch…  
                Or had they? That was the part that was bothering him. 494 wasn’t due to kill 112 and 113 till tomorrow…he had jumped the gun. White had made it clear what would happen if the X5 hadn’t followed his every instruction to the letter. Which made it even more strange that he had allowed the X5 to meet at the rendezvous and  _then_  taken him out. And they simply hadn’t had  _time_  to run all the tests on 105…  
                But there was the report in his own hand writing…and the memories, hazy, foggy, but there, in his own head.  
                Something was wrong.  
                He opened his cell phone, and dialed 2 on the speed dial. “ _Fe’nos tol_. I believe we may have just been compromised.”   He paused, listening to the voice on the other line. He nodded. “Yes. I bow to the wisdom.”


	12. Chapter 12

**TEXAS  
SEPTEMBER 10th 2021**  
  
 _Smoke, fire, flames. Higher and higher; yellow-orange-red-white-blue; hot, Hot, HOT! Can’t breathe, can’t fight. Panic-Panic-PANIC! Betrayal; they wouldn’t, they couldn’t…Defend; NOT THE CHILDREN! Have to save everyone; pain-pain-burning hot hurts-blood-scent-fear-panic—_  
                Alec sat up like a bolt, gun drawn from under his pillow on the sleeping mat, sweat pouring off him. He panted for a long moment, trying to get his breathing under control…  
                “Alec?” He spun, scrambling to level himself with the speaker when a cool hand touched his shoulder, and he blinked, as if he could actually  _see_  the room. “It’s ok, Alec. We’re here.”  
                “Bro, you ok?” When Alec finally looked up at Dean, his eyes were more yellow, and a helluva lot more feral than before. “Alec, buddy-”  
                “I’m  _fine_.” He snarled, his gun trembling. Dean didn’t step back and, moving very slowly, reached out and very carefully took hold of the muzzle of the gun. There was a tense moment, in which Alec stared Dean down…but Dean never looked away, and eventually Alec dropped his gaze, and let his grip slacken and Dean eased the gun away before handing it over his shoulder to Sam.  
                The sound of Sam removing the clip was only background noise as Dean watched Alec curl in on himself. Keegan tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder again, but Alec flinched away.  
                “Yeah…that’s not fine.” Dean sat next to Alec, ignoring his flinch and giving a quick nod to Sam in Keegan’s direction.  
                Sam bent down to whisper something to her, and after a moment, she stood, and followed him out of the communal bedroom and into the hall. Alec didn’t even glance in their direction.  
                “I’m alright, Dean.” Alec said, though, the minute their footsteps had passed into the kitchen, “It was a bad dream.”  
                “You know that excuse only works for so long, and then it starts to eat away at you.” Dean wasn’t surprised that Alec still refused to look up. “I’ve had my share of nightmares…”  
                “I’m fine.” Alec finally turned, and there was his usual cocky smirk. “Like I said, bad dream, not a nightmare. I’m always alright.” He stood, and made his way to the hallway, his swagger even falling into place in just a few steps. Dean stared after him for a moment before shaking his head.  
                “Yeah…alright my ass.” He muttered, getting up to follow him.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **SEPTEMBER 11th, 2021**  
  
                “Sir, we found another one.”

                Ames looked up from his files, and smiled. “Where?”  
                “Iowa, sir.” Ames stood up, and joined the tech at the computer. “There’s even a report of a house fire in her home town…and—“  
                “Her parents reported they were saved by two men, fitting the descriptions of 112 and 113…in 2006…”   
                Ames smiled. He stared at the photo, the girl was rather pretty, and would make an excellent addition to their breeding stock, especially if the rumors about these kids were true. “Let’s take this… Rosie into custody. Let’s see what’s so special that got an entire group of these brats noticed by our master…”  
                The tech glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Master, sir?”  
                Ames smiled at him, after all, it  _was_  his slip up—“One of our new Superior officers.”  
                The tech blinked, and then nodded. Ames patted him on the back. At least he wouldn’t have to kill  _another_  agent so soon. Their stock of captured transgenics to blame it on was running low.  
                “Run the search again, see if you can find any other children born in that time frame. He wants all of them he can get.”  _And if they have the potential that apparently 113’s original had…we’ll definitely have the edge._ , he thought… and he couldn’t stop the smile that crept across his features.  
 **  
CAMP WOOD  
TEXAS  
SEPTEMBER 11th, 2021**  
  
                “Hurry up, guys! We’re gonna miss the 9/11 memorial service!” Alec yelled up the stairs, tugging on his t-shirt. Dean carefully strolled down, flipping up the collar on his leather jacket as he came down the steps.  
                “Didn’t think you’d get so excited over something that happened when you were like…two.” he grumbled, scowling at his reflection in an aging mirror at the foot of the steps.  
                “We respect our fallen.” Dean hid his surprise at Alec’s sudden seriousness by rolling his eyes, and waving him off. Alec, however, looked like he was mollified, and headed out towards the car, grabbing a surprised Keegan, toothbrush still in her mouth, and dragging her with him.  
                Dean’s mouth pressed into a hard line.   
                “Dude, move, you’re blocking the stairs.” Dean looked over his shoulder, and flipped Sam off, but moved down the stairs. “Damn, what’s got you in a mood?”  
                “Not sure yet…could be nothing.”  
                “With that face, it’s never nothing.” Sam pointed out, brushing his fingers through his hair. However, when Dean still said nothing, Sam paused. “Seriously, spill.”  
                Dean shrugged him off. “Alec’s…I’m not sure. He seems off…and he’s awfully touchy-feely with Keely.”  
                Sam gave him a ‘so what’ look. “So? Dude, you are so bi-polar some times. He’s probably still twitchy from when she got taken.”  
                “Yeah…” Dean nodded, still not convinced. “Probably.”  
                However, when they made it in town, forty-five minutes later, Alec pulled back from everyone, barely speaking even to Keegan…Dean got more suspicious.  
                He kept them moving, though; Keegan and Alec drew a lot of attention due to their injuries, and more than once, he thought they were going to have the local authorities called on them for domestic abuse, and even hit the memorial service. It was surreal to him, because he had been twenty two when the first airplane had struck…and here he was, twenty years later, and he looked barely twenty five, fitting in with the kids who had lost parents, who had grown up like him and Sam…  
                “This is so weird.” Sam said, because apparently he was feeling the same thing.  
                “I just don’t get it.” Keegan said, glancing back at all the people, wearing black and crying.  
                “What’s to get?” Alec asked, standing stiff and very on edge.  
                Keegan gave him a look. “Memorials. People die. Lots of people die. I don’t see them doing memorials for the victims of random terrorist attacks throughout the years…it’s just this one…why? Seriously, why celebrate the day thousands of innocent people died and America started a war that ultimately turned it into a third world country-”  
                “Actually, I think that was us.” Sam said, looking slightly apologetic.   
                Keegan rolled her eyes. “If they hadn’t been spending billions of dollars engineering super soldiers, and detailing weapons, and all that junk, and actually put money where it should have been going; education, social welfare, getting people healthy and off the streets, we so could have handled the Pulse better.”  
                Alec looked affronted, and opened his mouth to argue a counter point when Dean stepped between the two, forcing them to pause in their bickering, “Ok, ok, debate over. Keegan, it’s a thing. Alec, be smart, don’t argue, cause then you don’t get laid.”  
                And he hurried his steps to catch up with Sam, waiting for them to explode. When he was sure that the two were continuing the debate-turned-argument (as he knew they would) he turned, catching Sam’s eye. “We need to keep an eye on Alec…he’s-”  
                “—off. Yeah.” Sam finished, nodding. Both of them glanced back at Keegan and Alec who were now not speaking and determinedly not looking at each other, and shook their heads.  
                “Come on, lovebirds.”  
                “Shut up, Dean.”  
                “Fuck off, Dad.”  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
SEPTEMBER 12th 2021**  
  
                “And you’re sure that they won’t be able to avoid this…” Ames knew he was doing a horrible job of keeping the skepticism out of his voice, but this was a whole new ball of wax.  
                The woman in front of him was supposed to be an honest to, well, not god, witch. One who had heard the plight of his people, and had been sent by his elders to help. He knew, given the things he’d seen, the rituals he’d been a part of, he should be able to believe this without a problem.  
                But witchcraft?  
                The woman smiled, her head tilting to the side so far her  _heard_  her neck snap. She should have dropped to the floor, dead. But she tilted her head back upright, and blinked.  
                Her eyes were solid black. “Trust me, the boys won’t be able to get past this curse.”  
                Ames considered it for a moment, and then smiled, nodding. “You’ll get your payment when we get their bodies.”  
                “That’s not a problem.” She said, her eyes going back to their blue green. “Unless you want them whole…which I can’t promise.”  
                Ames liked her already. He nodded again, and she turned to leave. “Wait.” She stopped, considering him. “What should we call you?”  
                She smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. “Ruby.”  
  
 **TEXAS**  
 **SEPTEMBER 12th 2021**  
  
                “Alright kid, spill.” Alec looked up from the tv, eyebrows quirked. Dean gave him his most impressive ‘you’re not fooling me’ look.   
                Alec was apparently unimpressed. “Spill what?”  
                “What’s got you havin’ nightmares. What’s buggin’ your subconscious enough that you wake up and pull a gun on Keegan, whom, in case you forgot, you have a thing for.” Dean paused. “Not that I’m encouraging that-”  
                “Like warning me I’m not gonna get laid if I argue you with her?” Alec countered, looking far too smug. “Bull.”  
                “Sound advice for dealing with any woman, and one which you hadn’t seemed to catch on to yet. Call it brotherly advice.”  
                “I don’t need your advice,  _Dad_.” And Alec smirked again, implications plain on his face.  
                Dean felt himself bristle, and burst out “Why you punk ass…oh.” He shook his head, and chuckled to himself before glancing back at Alec. “Good try, Alec, but I’m not gonna bite just cause you know what ticks me off. Good deflection though.”  
                Alec had the look of a cornered animal before he breathed a sigh of defeat and shook his head. “It’s seriously not a big deal, Dean. I’ve got it covered. Just a rough patch.”  
                Dean’s unease immediately lessened. “Why didn’t you ask for more tryptophan?”  
                Alec took one second too long to answer, but Dean let that slide as he said, “I’m not gonna be a burden.” In a voice that quivered just a little too much ( _you’re being played…_ ), and looked away. Dean put a hand on his shoulder.  
                “You know you can always come to us for help, dude, for anything. I’m serious.” And, as much as he hated the total chick flick moment this was turning into, it was true. He knew it had also hit a part of his clone he had been just hoping to reach. To get him to open up.  
                “Of course. I—“ Alec stopped, his face confused. And then he doubled over, grabbing his stomach. “Oh god.” He fell to his knees, and Dean was right there, hand on his shoulder.  
                “You ok?”  
                “I feel—shit!—like razors—in my—“ he coughed, and blood flew from his mouth, not red and flowing, but dark, congealed.  
                Dean felt the first pang in his gut. “SAMMY!” It was two for the price of one, for both Keegan and Sam showed up to his bellow, both blurred with their speed. Keegan took one look at Alec on the floor, coughing up blood, and rushed to him. Sam, looked to Dean, who was now leaning against the table, clutching at his own stomach. “Check…check for hex…hex bags…”  
                “Oh fuck.” Sam said, before closing his eyes, and  _sniffing_.  
                “Dude! Now is not the time to be playing ‘guess the smell’!” Dean’s patience was non-existent, and it was definitely showing in his voice.  
                “Charred bones have a charred smell! Can find it—ah!” He doubled over; the first pain had stuck him too. Alec was now heaving up a rather alarming amount of congealed blood. Dean coughed, and wasn’t too surprised that the blood from his mouth looked the same.  
                “I fucking  _hate_  witches.”  
                “But they draw their power from demons! And there are none left!” Keegan said confusedly, wiping blood from her mouth.  
                “Tell that to them!” Alec moaned, curled in a pool of his own blood.  
                Sam suddenly made a triumphant noise, and hurried out of the room, coming back a moment later with a small bag, and bringing up to his nose. “Aw hell, you guys—“  
                “BURN THE FUCKING THING ALREADY! WE’RE LOOSING ALEC!” Dean yelled, blood mixing with the words. Sam, coughing blood himself, grabbed a lighter from his pocket, and lit the thing up.  
                It exploded into bright blue flames that hurt their eyes (Dean didn’t remember it hurting like that), and the pain lessened, and then disappeared. Dean pulled himself up, Sam tapping him on the shoulder, making sure he was ok.  
                Keegan was using a corner of her shirt to clean off Alec’s face; he by far had gotten the worst of the hex. “So, witches.” She said, looking up at Sam and Dean.   
                “No…Ruby.” Dean snapped his eyes back to Sam, disbelief all over his features.  
                “We sent that skank back to Hell!”  
                “The bag reeked of her, man.”   
                “Fuck me sideways…” Dean pushed off the table, and ran to the kitchen, grabbing the salt, and immediately re did all the lines around the doors and windows. “Sam, devil’s traps everywhere. We’re gonna have to move and soon-”  
                “This was with the bag.” Sam said, pulling a note from his shirt pocket.  
                Dean grabbed the note from Sam, tearing the edge with the force of his grip.   
               

_First one’s the freebie. Ruby_

                “Well, she’s one cocky bitch.”  
                “It’s on government paper.” That was from Alec, who was peering at the paper from his angle on the floor. “Check the water mark.”  
                Dean held up the paper to the light, and cursed. “NSA. Fuck, she’s working with White.”  
                “We are screwed to hell.” That was from Keegan, who still hadn’t left Alec’s side.  
                “We gotta find this artifact. We only have a little over a month till we have to meet Castiel.” Sam said.  
                “Yeah…” Dean said, thoughtfully, “I seriously wish he could have been a little more forthcoming with information on that one.”  
                “Maybe he didn’t know the information either. It’d be just like Mab to sit on something like that, especially since she’s neutral.” Keegan said, finally pulling Alec to his feet. “Sorry, luv.”  
                “I’m fine.” Alec spit out another mouthful of blood, and made a face. “Seriously, how the fuck did this just happen? I felt like they were ripping me apart from the inside out.”  
                Dean dropped to one knee, and used a pen to poke through the congealed blood on the floor. After a moment, his face went grim, and he put down the pen, and picked up—  
                “Ok, I  _know_  I would have noticed swallowing a razor blade.” Alec said, eyes wide.  
                “Welcome to the other side of the supernatural fence, Pretty Boy.” Dean said, holding up the razor so that everyone could see it. “You’ve got your usual nasties that follow some sort of rules, and then you’ve got your witches and magic users, who generally just make up their own.” He stared at the razor, his expression grim. “I  _knew_  we should have killed Ruby the minute she turned up the first time.”  
                “She also saved our asses that time, Dean. We couldn’t have known.” Sam reminded him.  
                Dean frowned, and shook his head. “We should have  _sensed_  it. Heck, I  _always_  hated the bitch.”  
                “ _I’m_  still freaking out over the fact I had fucking  _razor blades_  somehow  _magicked_  into me.” Alec said, glaring at a razor he had unearthed from the blood with the toe of his shoe. “Even fucking  _quantum_  physics doesn’t allow for-”  
                “Do you expect science to explain everything?” Dean looked at Keegan and found himself surprised as to her expression. She looked…almost hurt.  
                Alec nodded. “I mean, your teleportation…anyone who’s seen  _Star Trek_  knows that it’s mathematically sound. But-”  
                “But my magicks? Or ghosts, spirits, demons, angels, or, what the hell, Faerie?” She was sounding upset now, too.  
                “Keegan, I don’t think-”  
                “I volunteer to go hunt down Ruby. Especially since Alec is too  _creeped out_  by things not explained by the oh-so-worshipful  _science_  that made him.” In that moment, Dean was simultaneously impressed with Keegan’s ability to doubly insult someone in the same sentence while being rather confused as to  _her_  sudden moodiness.  
                “And we know Keely is PMSing. Ok, time to break this up.” Dean stood, frowning. “Be reasonable. You’re not going after the hell bitch alone, because she’s a full demon  _and_  a witch, and while we  _know_  you’ve got game, we’re  _all_  untested against  _both_. And don’t give me any shit; you remember how different it was Before.” He felt Alec tense at that and wanted to punch something. “Ok, you two stop bristling at every fucking thing right now before I  _give_  you something to bristle about!”  
                And Dean almost had to burst out laughing when both Alec and Keegan both sat where they stood, because, if they had feline ears, they would have been pressed back in a show of submission. Even Sam was wearing a slightly submissive expression. “Good, now that we have that settled, Keegan, Sam, can we defend against her now that she knows this location?”  
                “No.” Keegan said briskly, as if she was longing to throw a ‘sir’ at the end of it.   
                Sam shook his head, but his lips were pursed thoughtfully. “She taught me a lot about shielding with hex bags, and how to ward off bad magic when I was still stupid enough to believe her shit. I don’t think she’ll realize I remember it; she never treated it as important. Then again, it could be because she’s  _just_  that powerful.” He looked back up at Dean. “But, since  _her_  demon master was still effected by hex bags and the like…it’s a damned good shot. We’d just need to get far enough away to make it effective.”  
                “A simple, ‘yeah, I got some mojo we can set up at our new base of op’ would have been so much easier, Sam.”  
                “But not nearly as fun.”  
                Dean raised an eyebrow. “Nerdy bitch.”  
                Sam smiled for the first time that day. “Bossy jerk.”  
                “Chick flick moment.” From Keegan’s (appropriate) peanut gallery response, Dean realized that the submissive behavior was not completely suppressing the rather unique personalities of his siblings.  
                “Hey, shush, you. Help Sam with the wards, anything you can think to add-”  
                “Faerie, not witch.” She sighed, “I may know some pagan rituals to keep her out, but most of my magicks is nature based, more like actual doing…maybe some wiccan rituals…” Dean was pretty sure the last part was her thinking out loud, since she went slightly glassy-eyed, as if she was thinking, lost in her own centuries old memory.  
                “Alrighty, so, Alec, where was the most recent Breeding Cult operation seen?” Alec looked at him as if he had lost his head. “This isn’t a trick question. Where were you supposed to meet them?”  
                “Tucson, Arizona.” But he was shaking his head. “They will have moved, Dean, the minute they caught wind something was funny; which already happened, if you couldn’t tell by them enlisting Ruby the Red Nosed Hellbitch. And that still doesn’t explain-” He just stopped speaking, staring at Dean’s hand, which he held up, as if requesting silence.  
                No, expecting. When he looked up, there was a new sharpness to his eyes. Dean smiled. “They tend to operate in the same places that they are excavating…every time Max or Lydecker found them; they were at a dig site. If they abandoned it early because they thought that we were on to them…”  
                “They might miss something. And, of course, the moment they realize we’re there, they’ll be spooked into moving again, in case they left some incriminating evidence…” Sam smiled and nodded. “Use their paranoia against them,  _and_  force them to rush the job, while giving us more time to peruse their work. We have to be careful though.”  
                “They won’t expect it.” Alec said, standing. “They expect us to run and hide, scatter like the animals they think we are.” His expression turned grim, and his smile was not a pleasant one. “They won’t expect us to hunt  _them_ , to use our superior military training…sorry, me and Keegan superior military training-” Dean aimed a swat at him, which he dodged easily, his smile finally back to the carefree Alec Dean had always found so annoying (but secretly missed so much). “We had advanced training in how to provoke paranoia in targets. Paranoia makes one sloppy.”   
                “See? All working together.” Dean slapped both Keegan and Alec on the shoulders and started to walk towards the kitchen, intending to grab the cleaning supplies. Leaving their blood was bad; not only could a really enterprising scientist get a helluva lot of information or program a superbug to their specific gene sequence, but a witch or demon could use it and cast more direct and powerful magicks on them. He didn’t miss the way that both Keegan and Alec were still too tense around each other.  
                “Please tell me Alec told you what was going on.” Sam hissed to him, as they both made their way to the kitchen. Dean sighed.  
                “Was just getting somewhere when the hex kicked in.”  
                “You don’t think they actually…” Sam bit his lip, and Dean stopped, just standing in the doorway and staring at Sam.  
                “Do I think they…what Sam? Use your words.” And then it occurred to him why Sam might be reluctant to say what it was. “Wait, are you asking if I think they’ve had  _sex_?!”  
                “No!” Sam shook his head. “No, god, Dean. I  _know_  I would have scented him on her or vice versa. I’m wondering if they had a fight…like maybe one of them tried for more.” Dean knew his expression must have betrayed his feelings, because then Sam said, “It’s not like its incest. She’s not  _biologically_  related to us. On paper, she’s still our cousin.”  
                “Emotionally she’s our sister. That trumps it.”  
                “And yet, you didn’t regard Alec as a brother for a long time.” Dean frowned. Sam had a point. “See? Works—“  
                “But he looks like me! It’s a little weird, and incestuous…”  
                Sam frowned. “I seriously don’t think clones count in that logic, especially when you’re _not biologically relate_ \-- you know what? I’m done.” He fell silent, waiting for Dean’s usual snappy come back. After a long moment: “Dean?”  
                “I’m still trying to decide if its incest if they-”  
                “Oh shut up, Dean.”  
  
 **SALVATION  
IOWA  
SEPTEMBER 12th 2021**  
  
                Rose Holt knew something was up the moment the attractive Latin man entered her field of vision.   
                She was on her way to school when she had first seen him…he even had one of those ear pieces that people weren’t supposed to see. She had always wondered why they used them when it was obvious that they were there. It was strange, because he had looked alarmed to see her—  
                Well, she had thought it was her until she heard someone ask, “Rosie Holt?” She turned—what else was she supposed to do—and saw a man who made her blood run cold. He was pale, with the cold, unfeeling eyes of a shark.  
 _This is it…we’ve finally caught--_  she didn’t need to hear the rest of his thoughts to know she should be hightailing it out of there.   
                Unfortunately, there were two more men behind her who she hadn’t heard approach, and they seized her arms, one of them calmly and efficiently pushing a syringe of something into her neck. She struggled, kicked, stomped, even managed to knee one of them in the groin, but they didn’t even flinch, as if her struggles meant nothing.  _Feisty little bitch—  
                Oh, I hope they choose to use her for multiple breedings…_  Rose tried to scream, but no sound came out. She managed to get one hand up to her throat, and it felt strangely rigid.  
                “Funny…one little syringe and you can’t talk. Paralyzed vocal cords are a bitch, aren’t they?” He smiled evilly. “But we do want our girl silent, right?” He smiled at her, and she glared at him. The two men began to lead her off, acting for all the world like her uncles , and she stubbornly glared and kicked at their feet.  
                She managed to glance to where she had seen the man before, but he was already gone. She was kind of glad, she had a feeling it wasn’t a good idea for him to be seen there.  
                She wasn’t feeling as happy when she realized the men were leading he to an unmarked black van. She tried to scream, no sound came out, and then she was thrown into the back, before the door snapped shut, and she was in complete darkness, listening to only her panting as there were two more door slams.  
                She was caught.  
 **  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 13th 2021**  
  
                “Alec, seriously, you kick my seat one more time, and I’m going to make sure can’t  _feel_ below your waist.”   
                Far from stopping, Alec only gave a particularly hard kick and Sam suddenly found himself lunging for the wheel as Dean attempted to dive over the back of the driver’s seat to get at his clone.  
                “Dean! What the fuck!” Sam yelped, diving for the wheel.  
                “Are you  _trying_  to give me a bloody heart attack? My goddess!” Keegan was suddenly in the driver’s seat, shoving Dean’s ass into the back seat, and then casually taking control of the car.   
                “Are you sure that was such a good idea?” Sam asked, looking into the back, and wincing with the sound of Dean snarling and Alec just laughing, as he kept managing to tangle Dean up, preventing him from getting in a decent shot. “They could kill each other.”  
                “Unless Dean suddenly became a contortionist, he’s not gonna do much then entertain Alec for a while; which is better than him sitting there  _poking_  me for the past three hours. I’m going to have a bloody bruise because  _he_  needs to be on Ritalin.”  
                Sam raised his eyebrows just as the seat gave a violent shake, and then shook his head as Dean yelped, and actually started laughing; leave it to Alec to resort to tickling in a mock fight in the backseat of a car. Finally, he said “Ok, I know you can be a bitch, but you’re on ‘slipped-up-in-the-demon-blood’ bitch mode.”  
                For a long moment, there was silence in the car, aside from the scuffling noises; someone had managed to get someone in a headlock, and by this point, it was difficult to tell who was who, and then Keegan sighed. She glanced in the rearview mirror and-obviously deeming that Dean and Alec were too busy trying to kill each other to listen, finally looked at him.  
                “I’m not used to things bothering me, Sam. You know that, you said some horrible stuff while in withdraw, and I wouldn’t have survived as long as I have if I couldn’t let things go. But…Alec…” She made a noise that was more feline then human, which Sam interpreted as frustration and …sadness. “Just gets under my skin.” Sam nodded, about to respond when Alec let out a yelp that was pure surprise.  
                “Hah! Take that, kitten!” Neither Sam nor Keegan could resist turning in their seats to see what had possibly happened. Dean was sitting on Alec, knee in a place to cause some serious damage to some  _very_  important equipment and using an arm to pin Alec’s free one (the other had somehow been tangled in the seatbelt, in a way that looked far too much like Dean’s present wrapping skills) and the other to put pressure on his windpipe.   
                The person who looked most surprised at this predicament was Alec himself, who had, once again, underestimated Dean’s tendency to cheat…   
                “Did that help do anything productive at  _all_?” Sam asked, rolling his eyes. To his surprise, Dean nodded, releasing Alec’s arm and throat, but leaving his knee where it was.   
                “Yeah. I got to thinking…We don’t know who the hell the Snake Cult is trying to summon…what if  _they_  don’t know who they’re trying to summon either?” Dean smiled, and paused, as if waiting for them to proclaim his brilliance. To his credit, he only looked mildly annoyed when they just stared, Keegan glancing between the road and the rearview mirror. “The artifact that they’re looking for? Like, it has the demon’s name on it?” he prompted.  
                “Do you even know how crazy you are?” Predictably came from Alec, who was apparently determined to lose the ability to procreate. “I mean, you let your mind wander while fighting  _me_?” There was a tiny bit of whining in that statement.  
                “Come on…it could be possible, right? And you do need specific things to summon a demon…so either way, the sites they’re digging at are bound to have some clues, right?” Dean finished, ignoring Alec.  
                “I’m so not used to this,” Sam said, eyebrows raised, “That’s pretty sound.”  
                “And it would be just like Mab to leave that out too.” Keegan shook her head, smiling to herself. “Way to go, big bro.”  
                “The fact its brilliant just makes it more insulting.” Alec moped, pulling himself into a sitting position and away from Dean. “But, I still think we’re ignoring some pretty big clues we were given early on…I mean, they don’t exactly hide the fact their demon deity is a snake…and you guys can’t tell me you didn’t notice all of the material Ellen got us was biblical in origin, right?” He paused, clearing his throat. “But this Cult, it predates _Jesus_  by eight thousand years, right? Shouldn’t we be looking in lore  _before_  the Bible?”  
                “That…is also a very valid point.” Sam said, again, sounding a bit awed.   
                Alec just smirked. “I know, I know, I’m a genius.” Dean looked like he was going to start sulking.  
                “I wouldn’t go that far unless you can tell us  _where_  we can find literature that predates the birth of Christ.” Keegan snapped, glaring at Alec in the rearview mirror. He stuck out his tongue at her, and continued to smirk. “You know where we can find literature that predates the birth of Christ.”  
                “I  _have_  been a master thief for the past year. There’s a buyer for everything, and  _I_  know where we can find them.”  
                “That was in Seattle, dumbass. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s quite a bit dryer and a lot less populated out here. Not to mention hot.” Dean said, sprawling out against the passenger side back seat, and forcing Alec into a very small section of driver-side door. Alec just shoved back against Dean’s legs.  
                “And you don’t think I know their  _other_  operations? Come on, Dad, what kind of black market dealer would I be if I didn’t make sure I had insurance in case a buyer fell through…seriously. One would have thought you  _at least_  would have been a boy-scout since you dropped out of Assassin U.”  
                Predictably, Dean launched himself across the backseat at Alec, and the fight continued. In the front seat, Sam and Keegan sighed. “So, camp?”  
                “Yeah. I like that idea.” And Keegan pulled the patched up tank of a car off the road, and into the brush.  
  
 **BERMUDA TRIANGLE**  
 **SEPTEMBER 15TH 2021**  
  
                “Huh.” Castiel knelt, peering closer at the Damned Door, which had almost what one could describe as a mouse hole near the bottom. It was hard to discern; the last time anyone had been near this particular Gate, the island had been part of a much greater land mass, and there was several thousand tons of water pressing down on this body from all sides.  
                He was not wet, his human host’s breathing was not impaired, and for a moment, he had stepped back and allowed Jimmy a moment to bask in the sensation of walking along an ocean floor, taking in the fish and other aquatic life in its array of colors, before stepping back to the front and distancing him from the sensation of being crushed to death and constantly healed.  
                But it was worth it, especially to see the explanation for so many disturbances and deaths; pain, suffering and hopelessness for some, in such an unremarkable stretch of ocean. A crack in the seal.  
                He could feel the tides shift even at this depth, signaling the return of the moon to full. Inconvenient to have to wait so long to seal it, but it was a piece of advice gained from the current Puck, a tall, lithe Fae, whose human body was aptly named Jirina, to bow to the moon when consorting with her ocean. Nature was far more fickle then Castiel had ever imagined.  
                Carefully, he invoked the elements (unsurprisingly, water answered his call the strongest) and the Gate crumbled in upon itself, crushed under the oppressive weight of the ocean, and the fourth Gate was sealed. He had one more to do before attempting the very last, and most dangerous Door.  


**BASE OF OPERATIONS**

**SEPTEMBER 16th 2021**  
  
                “Please! Ple-he-ease! Let me go!” Rose slammed her fist against the metal door, but, unsurprisingly, there was no dent, and her skin had split from the force of her impact. “What do you want me to do? I just want to go home!”  
                “No one’s going home, kid.” Came a gruff voice, muffled seemingly by a door much like her own. The voice was older, much older than her, and apparently much more defeated. “They’ve kept us here for a long time-”  
                “Us?”  
                “You think you’re special, girly?” This was a female voice, had to be in their twenties, and gruff from lack of water. “They’ve been rounding up all of us for the past couple weeks. Some of you they found from tracking this…’demon’ if you believe it.”  
                “And you?” Rose asked, trying to peer through the bars in her door. There was a heavy sigh, and the sound of someone standing in another cell.   
                Vaguely, she could make out a set of deep brown eyes set in pale features peering at her from across the hall. “My mom ran from the Conclave. Didn’t want to be a part of it. So here I am, all supped up with no place to belong to.”  
                “You’re part of these freaks?!” Rose squeaked before she could help herself.  
                “Hey, that hurts!” The brown eyes disappeared, and the male voice that came from her left laughed, hearty and deep.  
                “Damn right it does! Newbie, don’t go pickin’ on poor Ophelia. She’s just another prisoner, just like us.”  
                Rose sighed, leaning her head against the cold metal, and willing the pain away from her hand. “I just wanna go home.”  
                “Get used to it kid.” Said the male voice, getting further away (presumably moving back to his cot). “This  _is_  home now.”  
                Rose backed up, stumbling away from the door, and tumbling backwards onto her cot when it hit the back of her legs. She just sat there for a moment…  
                And then cried, and cried and cried…


	13. Chapter 13

**WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 20th 2021**  
  
                “Well, that’s unfortunate…see, the merchandise I have is of a very  _sensitive_ …of course, Mr. Mancini…I understand.” Alec hung up the cell phone with a quick flick of his wrist, and then threw it onto the motel bed, in between Sam and Keegan, who were currently buried in a pile of theology books.  
                “Didn’t go so well?” Sam asked, eyeing the phone before turning back to the large tome in his hands. Alec flopped onto the already-overcrowded bed, ruffling the papers, and sending a few paperback books onto the floor. Keegan shot him an annoyed look, and attempted to shove him off the bed.  
                “Apparently the Mafia is no longer ‘requiring of my services’.” Alec mocked, using his hands to lock onto the head board and letting Keegan push his legs off, only to pull them back on the moment she had moved back to the papers. “Which means-”  
                “This means that the ‘amazingly vast’ collection of antique occult references stolen from the Vatican is officially beyond our reach.” Dean said, leaning against the bathroom entrance, towel draped around his waist and steam billowing from the open door. “Any other leads, oh famous cat-burglar?”  
                Alec sat up, glaring at Dean, which gave Keegan enough of an opportunity to shove him completely off the bed, but not before he had managed to grab a hold of her flannel pajama pants and tug her with him. The resulting squawk she gave as she followed him off the bed, taking a lot more of the papers with her, caused Sam and Dean to burst into laughter. “Oh damn, Keely, you didn’t see that coming?”  
                “Shut up, Sam.” She started to throw a paperback novel at him when she paused, staring at the cover. “Wait a second…”  
                “Ok, we have seriously got to figure out why we all get epiphanies while we’re fighting with each other.” Dean said, moving into the room, one hand on his towel, and his eyes on Alec (who one more than one occasion had found reason to steal the towel to turn it into a weapon and leave Dean to dodge back into the bathroom naked or risk a rather nasty towel-whip), and reaching for his clothes.  
                “I’m sure there’s some explanation…but Keegan…” Alec made to touch her shoulder, and she jumped, seemingly startled out of her thoughts. “Hey, what’s got you so spooked? I thought you had a brilliant idea to save my ass?”  
                “I…I did…I just…” When she looked up, it was at Dean, and it was as if she had regressed to some much younger age. “Dean, if we can’t…if we can’t…”  
                “Out with it.” Keegan’s lower lip actually trembled, and Dean paused in sifting through his bag, tension curling in his gut. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”  
                “…If we can’t find what we need on the mortal plane…there is another library we could use…”  
                Sam sat up, immediately interested. “Really? Where?”   
                Dean turned and leveled his gaze on Keegan, who shrank back, pressing herself against Alec, who awkwardly put his arms around her, trying to offer her some comfort. “It’s Underhill.”  
                Dean felt his stomach drop out, and let his head drop down. “Great.”  
                “But you can’t get in, right? And it’s completely impenetrable to everyone without Fae blood or by specific invitation…right?” Sam looked like he was hopeful.  
                “Tir Nan Og was neutral.” She stared at a spot on the ground, and seemed unwilling to look up at anyone. “Anyone could learn there. Angels came…” She choked on the next word, “Demons…to. Alistair studied modern torture in our halls…” Her voice had dropped to barely a whisper. “Any one of demon or angelic birth may enter, too.”  
                Dean vaguely wondered if the bone chilling cold that just brushed over his very bones was because Alistair, his torturer in Hell, and later, tutor in those bloody arts, had walked the Halls of the Library that had once been housed at Alexandria and Atlantis. Or that, from what Keegan was implying,  _he_  was able to enter such hallowed ground. “Holy fucking  _shit_ , Keegan.”  
                “It’s a long shot, I know, but time is short, and if this is as bad as we think it is, me risking some heavy magic isn’t that bad of a price—“  
                “Kee, hold up.” Sam was now leaning across the bed, “I don’t think this is a bad plan…but…”  
                “…That’s like…” Dean took a deep breath, determined to keep his breathing steady. “We’re good, Keegan, and we’ve pretty much got the Hunting thing, and the transgenic thing down.” He ignored Alec’s snort. “But…entering Faerie land’s not something I wanted to do human…and certainly not something I wanna do without knowing how we’ll stand. Especially if we’ll be running into  _demons_  there.”  
                “There’s no fighting. And trust me…they have ways of enforcing it.” She seemed to come back to herself a bit, realized she was still draped in Alec’s arms, and shifted awkwardly. “Um…I’m good now.”  
                “What if I don’t wanna let go?” It was barely a breath in her ear before Alec loosened his arms and she shifted away. “What I’d like to know,” He said much louder, pointedly looking at Dean, “Is why  _you_  suddenly went into a cold, numb panic when she said…what was it? Alistair.” Dean couldn’t help it, he took a step back. Unfortunately, the old habit of distancing himself from sensitive subjects, a very human habit, had triggered a very basic instinct in Alec; pursue. “See…there it is again.” There was a very good possibility Alec didn’t notice his expression had turned slightly predatory, but Dean certainly did, and he didn’t like it.  
                “It’s not that big of a deal-”  
                “I’d say it was.”  
                “Alec, back down. Ok? It was from when Dean was in Hell. Use your fucking imagination and then get over it.” Dean raised his eyebrows, looking at Keegan with surprise. “I’m sorry, Dean, but if we’re going to do this, we’re going to have to do it soon.”  
                “Why?” Sam asked, saving Dean from getting his voice working again.  
                “Because if Ruby’s working for the Cult, then she has FBI contacts…and I wouldn’t put it past White to have flagged crime lords and black market dealers with rare books in the database. We’re facing a Ruby with  _vast_  resources. If she knows we tapped the Mancini family, she’ll be able to get the same info we did…and she’ll know what we’ll try to attempt. And I don’t plan on fighting on two fronts if this goes sideways.”  
                “That’s giving her a lot of credit.”  
                “She had the two of you fooled and so turned around you very nearly lost each other. I’d rather be paranoid then pulling razors from my insides again, thank you very much.” Keegan stood, and began gathering the now far scattered papers. “Now, excuse me, I’m gonna need to prepare because the last time I did this, I think was before the Titanic sunk.”  
                And then she locked herself in the small bathroom. The three brothers looked at each other before making comically similar ‘eh, girls’ faces. After a moment, Dean locked eyes with Alec again. “Hey, Pretty Boy, you ever get that challenging to me again, and we’ll have a serious throw down. You’re my brother, Alec, but you got a feral side that I gotta make  _sure_  knows I’m in charge.” Alec rolled his eyes, but, rather than looking annoyed or upset, gave a resigned sigh, and picked up where Keegan had left off, gathering more of the papers. “Good, now that  _that’s_  settled…”  
                “I’m not so sure it is.” Dean glanced at Sam, who was still watching Alec with a worried gaze. “You can’t tell me he isn’t flaring up all the warning signs you did before you broke…”  
                “I can still hear you, you guys.” Alec said, without turning around. “And I’m  _fine_. Just the damn seizures.”  
                “Yeah, yeah. We’re just worried about you, bro.” Sam said, forcing a smile onto his face. It was pointless, as Alec still didn’t turn around, and just continued gathering up the papers. However, when he glanced back at Dean, his face wasn’t remotely at ease. And in the Winchester subtext, Dean could easily read that Sam was just as worried as Dean was…and neither thought it was Alec’s seizures.  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **SEPTEMBER 22nd 2021**  
  
                “—so you see, it’s only tracking them to the door they’ll try to use.” Ames White stared at the young woman for a long moment before nodding.  
                “So they’re still alive.” He said, more to himself then to her.   
                She nodded, stepping forward. “They found the Hex Bag. They won’t find the next one.”   
                In a flash, he had one hand around her throat, lifting her off the ground, so her feet dangled in the air. “They better not.” However, instead of quaking in fear, or begging for her life, she just laughed. “Did you hear me?” He growled, giving her a shake.  
                “I heard you.” Her voice wasn’t the lovely, breathy young woman’s that he had grown used to hearing; it was gruff, and as dark as if it was being drudged up from the very depths of Hell itself. “And you don’t scare me…” She smiled at him, and it  _scared_  him, chilled him to his superiorly bred bones. “Apparently, you’re father made them better then they bred you…”  
                His anger hit the boiling point, “You bitch--” and he reached up to snap her scrawny neck—  
                Before he could do so, she threw her head back and screamed. Monstrous black smoke poured from her mouth, coiling in the air like a giant perversion of a snake, and whispered around his head, “Nice try, meat suit.” And it was gone, and he was left holding the corpse of a young woman, who, by the looks of it, had been dead long since before he met her.  
                He dropped her, leaving her rotting meat to continue its decline on the cold floor before reaching into his pocket and taking out his cell phone.  
                “ _Fe'nos tol_. I had a question about the… _witch_ …No, she said she would…of course…I bow to the wisdom.” And he hung up. After a moment’s hesitation, he threw the phone, taking some small satisfaction at the fact it shattered when it connected with the wall.  
                “Sir?” He moved very easily to block the dead body from his NSA partner, Otto’s view. “Sir, our orders have changed. We’ve been reassigned-”  
                “Very good, Otto. I’ll be there in a moment.”  
                “Very good, sir.” There was some hesitation to Otto’s leaving, but White had bigger things to worry about.  
                Namely making sure that this time 112 and 113, hell, the Entire Winchester Clan, was wiped out of existence. Permanently.

***

 

                Otto Gottlieb prided himself on being a patriot, a man for his country… but this was too much.  He had suspicions that his partner, White, was serving more than one master.  
                And then…barely two weeks ago, he had seen White kidnap one Rose Holt with the help of men who hadn’t reacted at all to any of the fairly decent blows she had landed. Carefully, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cell phone with red masking tape across the back.  
                He never had to use this phone, but now…he was starting to believe he had more than enough proof… But…who could he trust? He knew for a fact the governor of Seattle was in White’s pocket…how high could this go? The special phone went back into his pocket…for now. He had to get back to Seattle…he had to talk to the only person he _knew_  wasn’t on White’s side.  
                He had to talk to Eyes Only.  
 **  
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY  
WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 22nd, 2021**  
  
                “Keegan…in case this escaped your notice…this is a  _human_  library.” Dean stared up at the still rather impressive library; despite the desperate need for a paint job, and the cracked concrete all around the entrance.  
                He did notice that this specific library gave a rather eerie presence, as if there was something more that he couldn’t see. Keegan just shot him a withering glare over her shoulder as she continued towards the building, not even waiting for the others to get out of the car.  
                Dean hurriedly shoved the door open the rest of the way and climbed out, Sam and Alec just behind him. The eerie feeling was more pronounced outside of the iron body of the car, and he found himself checking his gun, and wasn’t surprised to see Alec and Sam doing the same.  
 _I can do this…I can—_  Dean stopped dead in his tracks, causing Sam and Alec to run right into him, in what would usually be a very funny scene.  
 _Dad can’t even walk right—  
                What’s got him on edge—_  
                “We’ve got trouble.” He said, eyes scanning the few people who braved the desert-like heat. Immediately, Sam and Alec put their backs to his, each scanning a different direction—  
                They heard the suppressed rifle shot just as they saw Keegan spin and fall to the ground, clutching at her shoulder. “Roof!” Alec was moving before the word was out of Dean’s mouth, and he was planting one foot on the corner of the building before using his momentum to literally scale the wall, his enhanced agility and blurring speed having him reach the top before most of the civilians had even started to duck away from shots not meant for them. Sam was taking a bead on the roof, but Dean was already rushing to Keegan, who was still on the ground, pressing one hand into the bleeding wound on her shoulder. “Hey, Keely-”  
                “Grazed me, I’m good.” She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. As soon as he felt Sam’s shadow covering him, Dean dropped his gun, and grabbed her shoulder, firstly checking to make sure the bullet had  _just_  grazed her.  
                The bullet was smoking, and buried about two inches into the ground beside her. “Shit, Keegan, they shot you with a consecrated iron round!” After giving it one more once over, he grasped her shoulder between his hands, and popped it back into place; her yelp made his ears ring for a moment, and then he  _willed_  the wound to close.  
                There was an answering burn in his shoulder, but when he moved his hand away, her skin was an irritated pink, as if the wound had been healing for weeks, and his shoulder had a mirroring wound.  
                He was just about to see if he could telepathically link to Alec when there were two more gun shots; this time the sound was not muffled by a suppressor.  
                Sharing one look with Keegan, she reached out with both arms, locking her grip on both Sam and his shirts, and they were suddenly on the roof, a building over.  
                And there was Alec, holding his glock still aimed at the dead sniper’s head. He was snarling, and looked like he wasn’t ready to stop firing yet. There was a nasty cut along one cheek, but aside from that, he looked fine—  
                “Alec!” He spun, leveling the gun on them with a snarl before realizing who it was, and locking the safety. Dean held up his hands anyway. “Man, take a chill pill.”  
                “One of White’s cult buddies.” He said by way of explanation, tucking the gun back into his waist band. “Which means we can pretty much bet that Ruby’s on her way.” He took a look at Keegan, but didn’t say anything.  
                Dean didn’t need him too; he currently had a direct line to Alec’s brain, and was  _not_ liking the amount of self-loathing, and absolute  _fear_  for Keegan, and it was making Dean nervous…  
                And then Sam tensed. “Do you smell that?”  
                All of them tilted their heads back, noses up, blocking out the scent that comes with fresh death and fear, and—  
                Dean felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end…and his lips curled, baring his teeth. “She’s already here.”  
                “If she put a hex on us, that will carry into the library!” Keegan said looking slightly panicked. “It might even work faster if we make it into the Fae lands!”  
                “Will the curse stop if we kill her?” That was from Alec, who looked far too eager to cause more death.   
                Dean closed his eyes, and tried to remember what Keegan had taught him about blocking out unwanted thoughts. “No.” He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And she’s a  _demon_. We have the knife she gave Sam, but that requires us to get close. If she put another curse on us, it’s not likely she’ll-”  
                “I can  _smell_  her, Dean. She’s here.” Sam looked at Dean, catching his eye.  _She’s in the crowd forming down there. Keegan can teleport me down—_  
                “I can tell you’re having some secret Winchester dialog,” Alec interrupted, glaring between the two of them, “And secrets don’t make friends.”  
                “Alec, sit your ass down with me. Keegan, teleport Sam to just inside that crowd, and quickly.” Dean reached down, pulling up his pant leg to unhook the knife he kept strapped to it at all times; the demon killing knife Ruby had once given them. Alec’s glare was ominous, especially when Dean handed Sam the knife. “Don’t worry, we’re gonna be causing a Grade A distraction. Two good looking guys like us…”  
                “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Alec said, a slightly manic smile forming on his face. Dean caught another flash of thought from Sam,  _Watch him like a hawk_ , and then Keegan and him were gone.  
                “Race you down the building. But remember, we’re just ordinary people.” Alec started to wave him off, but Dean grabbed his shoulder. “I mean it, Pretty Boy.”  
                “And this ain’t my first rodeo,  _Dad_.” Alec shook off Dean’s hand and then walked over to the ledge of the building, gauging the distance before dropping down. Dean took another minute to make sure the small shields he had managed to build were up and in place before he mirrored the move, catching up to Alec before the strolled out, obvious to anyone looking for them.  
                And, as predicted, Ruby stepped towards them from the crowd the moment she saw them on their own. She was a brunette this time (presumably something had happened to her other meat suit), and she was on edge. Dean had time to smirk as she realized that  _she_  had made a fatal error. The Hex Bag in her hand fell to the ground, and then gave  _him_  a smirk before vanishing where she stood. Sam had just come up behind her, knife in hand, and hastily stowed it away, trying for nonchalance. Luckily, Keegan wrapped her arm around his, effectively hiding the knife, and blending in as another post Pulse couple trying to see what news worthy event caused all this attention.  
                Beside him, Alec tensed, but with the absence of his thoughts (which Dean seriously doubted was from his meager shielding), he knew the danger had passed…until he felt the first stab of pain in his head.  
                He was forced to his knees almost immediately, and Alec was there, trying to help him up, while Sam dropped to grab the Hex Bag, obviously catching it by the scent before it was trampled by the dispersing crowd. A moment later, Dean was aware that Keegan and Sam were much closer, and there was smoke, blue fire, and the pain in his head was gone.  
                “Bitch couldn’t just leave, could she.”  
                “Never works that way.” Sam said, patting his brother on the back. He then glanced up at Alec. “You ok there, Alec?”  
                “I’m always alright.” He said stiffly, still scanning the much smaller crowd for  _any_  signs of Ruby. He only stopped looking when Keegan reached out and grabbed his hand, and he jumped away, yanking his arm away from all physical contact. “Sorry, sorry… you scared me.”  
                “Ok…” Keegan said, sounding a little hurt. “Sorry. I think we should try to go in now.”  
                “Good plan. I like it, simple.” Dean said, rolling his eyes. “And you still haven’t been that clear-”  
                Keegan pointed up at the entry way, where there was an inscription. Dean focused his eyes, reading the crumbling Latin: _Penetro totus quisnam peto scientia quod erudition_ ; Enter all who seek knowledge and learning.  
                Dean let his shoulders sag, and dropped his head. “You have  _got_  to be kidding me.”  
 **  
TERMINAL CITY  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
SEPTEMBER 22nd 2021**  
  
                Max was annoyed.   
                In fact, she was  _very_  annoyed. First of all, when her second in command had run off back in July, she had honestly figured it was just another of his crazy, attention grabbing antics, and that he’d be back.  
                She hadn’t expected him to be gone for two months without so much as a phone call to check in. She had seen them, true, when picking up Lydecker, but even that had been short. And she was getting tired of Dix’s teasing that she  _missed_  the damned scoundrel. She didn’t. She was worried. And when Max was worried, she got annoyed.  
                Firstly, she knew what this world had done to Ben, had seen the break down in his eyes, the hopelessness, how lost he was…and he hadn’t been empathic, like his twin. Alec was dealing with some major issues that no transgenic she knew could even comprehend.  
                Which is why she had reached out to the Psy Ops agent, Mia. Come to think of it, she was probably a major source of Max’s annoyance; she was always chipper, and happy, and  _everybody_  loved her…she was even running for the City Council seat that Alec had been planning on taking if the siege ever ended.  
                But the most annoying thing about Mia, was that she never let it go, and when Max said ‘it’ she meant ‘anything’.  
                It had been Mia who had noticed there were odd disappearances among the Ordinaries…and not just in Seattle too. It had been  _Mia_  who managed to get a high ranking police official to get the rest of the story. Like how they were being found drained of all blood, usually hundreds of miles from where they were abducted. How they were defiled with crazy occult symbols, and how they were found en masse after every new and full moon.  
                The most annoying thing about Mia, though, was that she managed to get all this information within a day of returning to Terminal City (Dougie free, much to everyone’s surprise),  _and_  was now determined on setting out across the country to find the Winchesters and give them the information personally.  
                “For the last time, Mia, I  _really_  have no idea where they went.”  
                “Well, that’s no fun.” She pouted, and Max couldn’t help but feel bad that she  _didn’t know_. And then, she shook herself, and made a face.   
                “Mia, I promise, the minute they contact us, I’ll let you know. But they went to ground. White sent their super soldiers after them.” Logan said from the video screen, rubbing his brow. Max gave him a sympathetic look, before turning back to Mia.  
                “See? We promise.”  
                “Well, that just isn’t good enough.” Mia stood, brushing off her tasteful suit, and straightening up. “I know what’s out there, Max. There are bigger things then just Ordinaries, the Cult and transgenics. And this  _is_  big. There’s a pattern, and it’s nagging me…” She made a face, wrinkling her nose. “I’m going to go for a walk.”  
                And she marched out of the control room, head held high. Max sighed, finding herself overwhelmed by the sudden silence in the room, with only the tiny bit of white noise from Logan’s open video call breaking the monotony. “I really don’t know how she’ll find them when  _we_  can’t.”  
                “I dug up Sam and Dean’s pre-Pulse records…the FBI had a hard time tracking them-”  
                Max scoffed. “Logan, I think you’re confusing their crazy stories-”  
                “Max, listen, they’ve told you, an  _angel_  has told you, damnit, if  _God_  himself came down here, you probably still wouldn’t believe it. But even Lydecker believes that 112 and 113, Sam and Dean Winchester, aren’t ordinary X5s. I have birth certificates, family photos, arrest records, hundreds of school transfers, all for Samuel and Dean Winchester, born 1983 and 1979 respectively. Mother died November 2nd, 1983, raised on the road by their father who dropped off the grid sometime in 2006…” He paused, rifling through some papers on his desk before holding up a mug shot dated 2007. Max wanted to shake her head, to deny it, but… there was Sam and Dean, holding up an arrest plate, and everything. They looked…older, if anything, then they did now, more scarred and bulkier, but there was no mistaking the haughty confidence that was Dean, and the resigned, tired look on Sam.   
                “Oh my god…”  
                “I know, spooky, right? But it explains why  _we_  can’t track them. They aren’t calling on Manticore training, or survival skills…they’re just acting the way they always have. It’s like trying to track down gypsies.” He shook his head, the camera going a little fuzzy. “Brown out coming our way. Damn electrical storms.”  
                Before Max could respond, Logan’s end cut out…and then the lights went out too. “Great…just great.” She shook her head, and started to making her way towards the stairs.   
                “Oh, my, I do believe I am quite lost…” Max spun, whirling to face the frail, old voice that came from behind her…where there wasn’t a door. In the darkness, the colors of her clothing were muted to her eyes, but she could still make out the woman’s face…  
                “You were the woman in the hospital chapel.” The old woman smiled at her, encouragingly, and took a couple of tottering steps over towards her, the dark apparently not hindering her at all.  
                “And I am very lost. I need to get back home…but  _you_  need to go to White Sands.” The woman nodded to herself. “Yes, yes, New Mexico. White Sands.” She whispered, apparently to herself. Max took a step forward, truly expecting to have to catch the woman as she fell over, but in the next blink, the lights were suddenly on again, and the old woman was gone.  
 **  
THE PLACE BETWEEN  
TIR NAN OG  
SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER 2021**  
  
                Dean was having a  _very_  hard time rationalizing how, suddenly, after walking through the entrance to that damned library four times, he wasn’t in the musty, carpet covered lobby with the snippy receptionist.  
                He was standing in this…palace. There was no other word for it. It was formed out of mist and clouds, gold and gilded (he personally thought it looked more like his idea of Heaven), and then it was a handsome entryway, with Persian rugs, gold accents, and a _very_  strange thing standing in their path.  
                The thing, he guessed, was Tir Nan Og’s version of a receptionist…but it wasn’t something he was feeling too welcoming towards. It stood on its hind legs, and it looked like a giant, iridescent fox…except for the owl beak at the end of the snout, the third eye in the center of its forehead, and the giant owl wings bursting from the fox fur in its shoulders.  
                And it looked like it wasn’t happy to see them. “Uh…” He turned to look for his family, and jumped back. Sam stood next to him, but he didn’t look like the Sam he had come to get used to seeing; he looked like he had the day they had sent Lucifer back into the pit…except for his eyes. His eyes were black, scalars, pupils…save the green of his irises.  
                Alec looked just like Alec…except for the panther lurking just below his skin. At times, Dean could even swear he saw the flick of a tail, or a twitch of an ear…  
                Keegan almost looked  _too_  normal, her body even showing the eerie shadowing of a giant cat, spotted to Alec’s solid black.  
 _I kind of wish I could see myself._ , he thought, and no sooner had he then a mirror appeared on the wall to his right, behind Sam. He started to move towards it when a clear voice said: “Stop.”  
                Well, no. Dean wrinkled his nose as he realized the owl/fox/man had somehow said ‘stop’ in at least seventeen languages all at once. And he took a step back, reaching for his—  
                “Where the fuck is my gun?!” He yelped, grasping at the empty holster.  
                “Of course, English.” The owl/fox/man said, sounding vaguely disappointed. He completely ignored Dean (and coincidentally Sam and Alec’s) sudden search for their weapons, and focused on Keegan. “How quaint. Is this your final form? Come to see me?”  
                “As much as I would dearly love for this to be a social call, my friend, I fear we must use the Library.” Keegan answered with a slight bow. Dean didn’t like the way the owl/fox/man’s eyes narrowed.  
                “That is not open to you-”  
                “We are not mere humans, Tengu. We all contain Demon Blood, and Dean has been Tapped.” Keegan’s eyes narrowed as well. “And it is  _always_  open to me, as my right as former Puck to High Queen Mab of the Unseelie.” She said in a voice barely above a whisper.  
                Tengu (which was a lot shorter than owl/fox/man), took a step back, frowning. “And how will you vouch for their entrance? I see no Faerie left in you, so your right to guests is based on trade.”  
                Keegan shut her eyes, looking as if she was bracing herself. “I invoke my right, as Lady _Tine Keegan Mac Aodhagain ó naSíogaí_ , to gain access to the Library of Ages.” The name seemed to ring with power.  
                “True name is a high price. I hope what you seek is worth it.”   
                Keegan glared at him. “I hope so to.” Tengu stepped back, and suddenly, there were two huge doors behind him, standing wide open, and giving a splendid view of what was clearly the largest gathering of books  _ever_. Keegan held her head high, and started towards the doors. Sam followed with the barely contained energy of a kid in a candy store. Alec looked much more resigned.   
                Dean spared one moment to glace back at the mirror: it was him…the way he remembered looking the morning before Lucifer had risen. But…he shimmered. There were the ghosts of feline parts, much more prominent then Sam’s, but…the white shimmering…  
                He shook his head, and hurried after his family.  
                As soon as they were through the doors, Sam was next to Keegan, pulling her to the side, and forcing Alec and Dean to cover for him. “Keegan! What the hell was that? I thought you said that was the most sacred thing the Faerie had!”  
                “A name?” Alec and Dean glanced at each other in surprise, before moving past it with Sam’s agitated sigh.  
                “If you know a Faerie’s true name you can control them, kind of like demons, only to a much,  _much_  worse degree. If it is offered in trade, it’s essentially handing over your life to the person!  _And_  she said it in front of us, giving  _us_  the same power ov-”  
                “But we wouldn’t use it.” Alec said, frowning at Sam. “Keegan had to have known that, right? We’d never-”  
                “Besides, it was one  _fucking_  long ass name, Keegan. I don’t know how you fucking remember it all. Or pronounced it.” Dean shrugged. “Well, forget that idea. As much as I’d love to actually have you follow orders, dragging you around by your soul is certainly not the way to gain moral. But why give it to him? We could have found another information source!” He said, outrage setting in.  
                Keegan gazed at them, half reproachfully, half awestruck, as if she was overwhelmed by their adamant refusal to even think of using her True Name. “It was Tine Keegan Mac Aodhagain ó naSíogaí. And it’s alright if he knows it too.” She smiled. “This is my last time around, remember? My soul is my own…I’m not a Faerie anymore. Go ahead, try it.”  
                Sam adamantly shook his head, and by the look on Alec’s face, to even  _suggest_  that he do it would probably result in a bloody fight. So, he gave it his best shot: “Teen-eh Keegan Mac Al-awn-gan oh na Shee-oh-gee, do a cartwheel.” She just stared at him, chuckling.   
                Sam rolled his eyes. “Keegan, I don’t think the librarian would be sounding out your name like a five year old if he wanted to do something.”  
                “Doesn’t matter. He knew my name, and had the intent. I had it pulled on me by an enterprising Japanese man once…his pronunciation  _sucked_  but I had to do everything he asked…till I drove a sword through his throat, but I figured I earned that right.”  
                Dean raised his eyebrows. “So you just gave him something completely-”  
                “—worth the price of admission, after all, you three  _are_  the first non Sidhe to set foot in Tir Nan Og since my people went underground.” Suddenly, Dean’s head exploded with thoughts; Keegan was practically screaming in his head,  _n’t, don’t, DON’T even voice what you were just going to say! This place is magic-life-breathing-alive-always-watching-always-listening; to break a bargain…death-highest-law-no-exception_ , and then she hit him again with the white noise he hadn’t noticed her throw at him the first time and shyly dropped her gaze as a half man/half owl walked by, peering at them curiously.  
                “This place is fucking  _weird_.” By his side, Sam nodded.  
                “You got that right.” Alec said, reaching out to grip Keegan’s hand.  
                “Hey, you’re in the tourist ready parts. Just imagine what it’s like growing up here.” She said, shuddering a little. Alec frowned, and stepped away, finally releasing Keegan’s hand.  
                “Keely…” Sam said, suddenly staring at Alec with raised eyebrows. “Did we…change coming in here?”   
                Dean gaped at him for a moment. “Thank you! I thought I was going nuts!”  
                “You’re true self is always visible here. You’re basically getting a great look at your soul, which should no way be construed as negative, Sam…you just happen to be more…demon then the rest of us-”  
                Sam stared at her, looking completely confused. “I…what?”  
                “You’ve got the whole…Gambit thing going on. It’s actually kinda cool.” Dean said, slapping Sam on the back. “Just don’t wish for a mirror-”  
                “Yeah…its pure magick around us…not smart…” She stopped, peering at Alec. “You ok? You’re shaking like a leaf…”  
                “It’s…” He pulled away from her hand like he was getting burned. When Sam moved closer, he pushed himself against a stack of books, as if trying to get away. “Guys, step back, please!” He put a hand over his eyes, ducking his head down.  
                He continued to pull away until Keegan, with a ‘I’m sorry’ to Dean, grabbed his shoulder. Dean didn’t hear any more thoughts, but Alec’s face went through a spasm of pure agony before settling into something that looked more like stoned.  
                “…What did you just do?” Came from Sam, who looked rather curious.  
                “I’m being a mental block for him.”  _She_  looked slightly stoned, but Alec suddenly reached for her, and pulled her close. She gave Dean and Sam an apologetic smile. “I’m basically his buffer for emotions.”  
                “You love me?” Came a rather groggy question from Alec, who was clinging onto her wrist like it was a life line. Keegan started to blush, and looked away; ignoring Sam and Dean’s raised eyebrows.  
                “You guys are my family! Of course I love you!”   
                “Right.”  
                “Sure.”  
                “Can this family drama wait?” They all spun, startled. Standing behind them was a woman…but she was brown from her hair, to her skin, to the clothing she wore. It was iridescent, and seemed to pick up green and grey as well, but it was hard to tell under the bright  _sparkle_  that was on every aspect of her being. She bowed slightly to Keegan. “By my ancestors, I greet thee.”  
                “By my descendants, I greet thee.” She said in response, bowing in a similar fashion. “But I hold no ties to either court, so you talking to me is completely Puck business.”  
                “On my honor as-” She hesitated, locking eyes with each of the Winchesters in turn before turning back to Keegan, “As acting Puck, Lady  _Bree Jirina Ó Breaghdha ó naSíogaí_ , I am here only as a favor to my predecessor.”  
                “Ok, I thought True Names were big deals—“ Dean had only a moment to realize that the brown rushing at him wasn’t the new acting Puck, but the  _floor_.  
                “Dean!” And Keegan was right in front of the moving floor, and there was a flash of green flame—  
                And all too quickly, Dean found himself standing in a shower of glitter, cowering a little behind Keegan, who was squared off in front of Jirina. “He has no idea, so please, take no offense.”  
                “Call me Jiji.” Dean shook his head, hoping to  _god_  that the bi polar mood swings would go away.  
                “Eh, ok…Jiji.” He took her offered hand, still keeping behind Keegan. “And…Sorry.”  
                “So, what’s this information?” Sam said, stepping up beside Dean. Alec made to do the same, but needed to be pulled into position by Sam. Dean raised his eyebrows, but kept his mouth shut.  
                Jiji stared at them for a long moment before pulled a scroll from somewhere in her robes (at least, he thought they were robes, a moment ago they had looked like a cross between armor and clothes), and handed it to Keegan. “There have been a lot of demons in here as of late. And scrolls are going missing.”  
                “You’re dangerously close to taking a side.” Keegan warned, raising an eyebrow as she examined the seal.  
                “Our job is to keep balance, above all else. I’m evening the scales.” Jiji glanced over her shoulder, and then gave them all a small smile. “Read…discuss…call me!”  
                And she was gone as if she had never been there. Keegan turned, and held the scroll out to Sam, taking Alec’s arm instead. “You like research so much…” Alec immediately clung to her, and she rolled her eyes, reaching out her hand, and suddenly, there was a reading table, complete with comfy chairs, and she was guiding Alec to sit in one. “What? Magic is literally the air we breathe here.”  
                “That explains the mirror…” Dean muttered, before dropping into one of the other chairs. And  _damn_  they were comfy. “Why did you even want to walk to mortal plane?”  
                “This? This is boring.” Keegan said, pulling a blanket from thin air, and tucking it around the still-out-of-it Alec. “I mean, what's the use of having everything when it means nothing? No love, no hate, just neutrality. I mean, yeah, sex was uncomplicated, and life was simple, but…” She shrugged.  
                “Holy shit.” This came from Sam, who had already seated himself at the table, and had the scroll unfurled in front of him. Immediately, Dean and Keegan crowded around him. He looked vaguely annoyed, before sitting back. “Looks like Ruby gave us a very important clue, and we didn’t even think about it!”  
                “As in?” Dean prompted.  
                “The demon bred with snakes from our plane. The Cult follows a demon snake…” He pointed to a passage in the scroll, “The same demon who apparently did both also was the serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. And we  _know_  that demon.”  
                “We do?” Keegan asked, looked surprised.   
                Dean cursed, and cursed loud. “Son-of-a- _bitch_!” He covered his face with his hand, groaning. “Seriously, I have had enough of this bitch.” When Keegan and Alec still looked confused (though Dean was pretty sure Alec was just confused in general right then), he sighed. “Lilith, dumbasses.”  
                “But we know her name.” Keegan said, brightening a bit. “So, we’re one up on the Cult.”  
                “I don’t think so.” Came from Sam, who was frowning. “There’s part of her summoning and exorcising rituals in here. Lilith might be her common name, but it’s not her true name.”  
                “Jiji!” Keegan called, before looking at Sam again. “So we need to find her true name because…”   
                “Can’t exorcise her without it.”  
                “Them.” They all looked up at Jiji, who had suddenly appeared next to them, looking sad. “Demons don’t have just one true name. They’re like us; lesser demons usually only have one name, maybe two. But Lilith? She’s the  _first_. Ever see the  _Exorcism of Emily Rose_? We’re talking  _that_  level demon. And if you think she was tough before; remember, she wasn’t drawing on thousands of years of cult energy…it’s been nearly twelve years for us…but every month is a decade there.”  
                “So the question is…how do we find her names?” Sam started rolling up the scroll, looking disheartened. “This was a bittersweet victory.”  
                “We’ll have to work on that some other time.” Dean said, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rise. He fought the urge to hiss and spit, and turned slowly, peering around the chair to see a demon (it was like the day before being dragged down to Hell all over again), stroll by their little table. He didn’t know  _how_  he knew they were not alone anymore. And he didn’t question it.  
                This place made his head hurt.  
                “Well, well, well. If it isn’t The Boy King and the First Seal.” The thing said, starting to detour its path towards them. Shockingly, Jiji stepped in front of him. “Oh, come on…”  
                “Hi, I’m Jiji, the Puck for this millennia…” She held out her hand, the other waving the others off.  
                Literally. One second, they were by the table, the next they were back by the entrance, with Tengu staring at them. “That was quick.”  
                “We’ll be back.” Keegan promised him, only glancing over her shoulder before giving Alec another shove towards the door.  
                Another second and they were bursting into bright sunlight—  
  
 **WHITE SANDS**  
 **NEW MEXICO**  
 **SEPTEMBER 25th 2021**  
  
                --and Dean found himself running head first into a dark haired, mocha skinned beauty. It normally would have been a great pick up line, till he dragged his eyes back up and realized he was staring at the president of the free transgenic nation herself: Max Guevara. “Son-of-a- _bitch_.”   
                However, before Max could come up with a snappy response, a  _way_  to cheery voice chirped “Hey, you!” And Dean snapped his attention over to where Alec was tottering on the edge of a stair, trying not to fall into a rather tall woman who was attractive, but just  _way_  too chipper for his tastes.  
                Alec, however, was looking panicked. “Aw, shoot me.”  
                “Now, that’s not very nice!” She scolded, starting to cock her head, but Alec jumped backwards and dropped his gaze, chuckling.  
                “Ah, no. Nope. I read up on you after you did your mind-thing on me to get me back in the ring.  _No_.” He shook his head, and looked at Dean. “She’s Manticore. Psy-Ops.”   
                “Ok, so why is she here?” Dean glanced back at Max. “And, why are you here? Damnit, Sam, we’re getting rusty!”  
                However, instead of Max rising to the bait, like he honestly thought she would, she looked very awkward, and refused to meet his gaze. “I got a tip.”  
                “Great.” Sam frowned. “So why did you need to follow us? We’re trying to stay off  _all_ radars.”  
                “We have information you guys need.” Max said, sounding desperate. Mia nodded.  
                Dean stepped closer, tugging Max closer, “Being out in the open is  _bad_. We just got attacked by Ruby-”  
                “That was three days ago.” Said Mia. “The gunshots fired outside the library? Yeah, that was the 22nd. Today’s the 25th.”  
                “Son-of-a- _bitch!_ ” Dean yelled, kicking a rock, and sending it flying just past Sam, who glared at him reproachfully. “I hate all this magick, and spoon bending, and stupid magick libraries…” And, grumbling to himself, he hunched his shoulders and stomped off in the direction of their car…leaving the rest of the Winchesters, (and Max and Mia), to follow him.


	14. Chapter 14

**MOTEL  
5 MILES OUTSIDE WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 25th, 2021**  
  
                It was crowded. Alec didn’t like crowded.  
                Growing up, he had never liked being touched to begin with…the more people around him, the more uncomfortable he was; like he couldn’t feel his  _own_  emotions.  
                It made him an excellent soldier. It had given him an edge in the outside world… but outside Manticore, there were no drugs to take to calm the sea of emotions that sometimes threatened to drag him under. He had to learn to deal.  
                And he dealt well. Until all this  _magick_  shit.  
                Alec was convinced that it had started with the angels; they blasted him with their _loyalty-love-trust-faith-honor-obedience_  and it was so powerful, he felt the first of his walls crumble.  
                Then that demon bitch had to possess Keegan and drag his life force out to send them through space. He was starting to suspect that the life force had been the part of him that resisted the clash of emotions…and made him more susceptible to her hexes.  
                But, the worst was Tir Nan Og. Everything was amplified there; and then Keegan had to step in… Now he couldn’t get her out of his head. He knew she had pulled away, but now, after being so closely entwined in her own feelings, he couldn’t ignore the spark of (was it hope?), that had lit in his head.  
                And he couldn’t stop thinking about the fact she  _loved_  him. In a way he hadn’t dared hope for.  
                So, of course, Max and Mia had to suddenly appear to break up any chance of actually cornering her into talking about it. It was bad enough that Dean and Sam were constantly around; they were his family, and he’d never wish it away…but sometimes the lack of privacy was a downer…especially when he was seriously considering having a rather awkward conversation with their sister.  
                Mia, for some reason, which Alec was ever grateful for, was a silent wall; the only emotion she ever expressed was when she was working her mojo. It was probably due to her ability to control the specific parts of the brain.  
                Max, however, broadcast like an SOS on all frequencies. And Sam and Dean weren’t helping much, either. Going into Tir Nan Og had  _done_  something to him… So, while everyone was occupied debriefing Mia about the mysterious information, Alec made a choice.  
                He snuck out of the motel room, easing the door shut behind him. As much as he wanted to ask Keegan…he couldn’t. She was needed in there, after all, even she was born and raised to fight demons and spirits…he was just bred to be an assassin of the _homo sapien_  variety.  
                Digging out his phone, he took a deep breath, wishing to God (or whoever looked out for rogue transgenics), that Manticore had never given him this contact…that they had never sent him out on his deep cover mission that went so FUBAR—  
                Best not to think about that. Taking another glance around (he was a trained soldier, he was supposed to be paranoid), he pulled his cell phone from his flannel pajama pants and dialed the fourteen digit number by memory; he’d wipe the cell’s memory when it was done.  
                It only rang twice. _“Hello?”_  
                “Hey man, it’s Simon.” He said, pitching his voice lower.   
                The voice on the other line couldn’t hide the sharp intake of breath.  _“Simon…long time no hear. Coulda sworn I caught ya on the news with that whole transgenic thing in Seattle.”_  
                Alec smirked. “Ah, well, yeah, that was unfortunate. You know why I’m calling.”  
 _“Hey, man, I can get it for you any time, any place…but, you know, now it’d make sense why you’re not overdosing every time I sell…”_  
                “Do I pay you to think?” He took a deep breath, calming himself. “I’m near White Sands, New Mexico.”  
 _“New Mexico? Why the fuck are you there?”_  
                Alec bit back a snarl. “Do you have it or not.”  
                The man on the other end paused.  _“I can get you a drop by noon tomorrow, in town. You want the same mix?”_  
                Alec rolled his eyes. “Do I want the same mi—of course I want the same mix!”  
                “ _Chill! Damn, tense much?_ ”  
                At that, Alec couldn’t help but sigh. “You have no idea. The usual drop?”  
                “ _Yeah._ ” Alec made a noise of assent, and shut the phone. He wasn’t looking forward to this; the whole deal would make him hazy and sluggish, but what else could he do? He wasn’t psychic, like Sam, or magical, like Keegan, or freakin’ Tapped by God, like Dean. He was just a freak lab experiment that someone had a little too much fun playing with his emotional receptors.  
                He was over thinking things.   
                After all, how long would any of them keep him around if they found out he was being slowly incapacitated by  _emotions_?  
  
 **SOMEWHERE IN CANADA  
SEPTEMBER 27th 2021**  
  
                Castiel was worried.  
                Of course he was worried; this was  _bad_. Really,  _really_  bad.  
                Knowing the Bermuda Gate had a mouse hole was bad enough…but this…This single handedly explained global warming if anyone cared to look beyond the human causes.  
                Polar ice caps didn’t stand up to Hell Fire very well. This binding was going to be tricky…  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
SEPTEMBER 27th 2021**  
  
                “Hey…new girl!”  
                Rosie sighed from her spot on her cot, carefully rubbing away the sand that always seems to build around the eyes whenever she slept. “What?” She snapped, not caring if they actually heard her. She had grown bored of the constant teasing that she ‘wanted her mommy’, and with the constant inquiries into her ‘dark gift’. As far as she was concerned, what the Men (which was how she had always thought of them) had told her parents still applied: it wasn’t wise to advertise her special abilities. And she figured, if the Men had risked arrest and  _death_  to save her when she was six months old, that advice was worth something.  
                “New girl! Looks like they brought in a real live wire!” Called another of her cell mates. And, just as soon as it was said, Rose thought she saw a blue streak of lightning flash passed her small, barred window.  
                The window to the hall…not the even tinier one that was to the outside.  
                Curiosity overcame her tiredness, and she stood, heading towards the door. She jumped back almost immediately when more of the lightning hit her door, and sparked.  
                “Let me  _go!_ ” There was a horrible burning smell; her stomach turned when she realized it was human flesh, and then a thud. Then, hurried footsteps and a woman’s scream. Rose forgot her fear and dashed to the small window, trying to see out—  
                There was an older girl there, she had to be at least in her late twenties, and she was unconscious. Next to her, there was a scorched body, still smoking, still  _moving_ , trying to stand, and another of those creepy guards who didn’t seem to feel pain.   
                There were sparks at her barred window, and she leapt back. “Nothing to see here!” A third guard said, smacking the shock stick against the iron again for emphasis.  
                Rose stumbled back, and curled up on her cot, wishing for  _anything_ , even  _homework_  to take her mind off this horror…  
 _God…I know you sent me two guardian angels when I was so little…maybe I used up my miracle…but please, we need to get out of here. There are kids like me…this isn’t right, this can’t go on…_  She started crying, folding in on herself, and leaving the rest of her prayer up for God to interpret.  
  
 **MOTEL  
5 MILES OUTSIDE OF WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 27th 2021**  
  
                “I don’t know if I can take much more of this.” Dean sagged onto the old couch in the motel room, finally free of Mia, Max…and surprisingly Alec. Sam and Keegan were right beside him, each sitting on either end of him like  _really_  mismatched bookends.  
                “What do you mean?” Sam asked, leaning back into the cushions. Keegan just watched him, looking worried.  
                “I mean, I get we’re ‘Tapped’ and all that. But  _damn_  how can we be  _everywhere_  at once? There are four of us, and this Cult has us beat in resources, numbers…you name it, they’re kicking our ass.” He shook his head, “I mean, Mass Human sacrifices? Come on!”  
                “Dean…there has to be a reason-” Sam started.  
                “I’m done with reasons…You know what I’m doing? I’m taking a walk.” And he stood.  
                “Ok, that’s more Sammy behavior than yours—don’t give me that look, you totally do it. So, Dean, what’s wrong?” Keegan asked, looked really worried.  
                Sam was mirroring her expression. Dean took a moment to take in both of them before he shook his head. “Seriously, guys, it’s just a lot to take in.”  
                “Ok…” Keegan didn’t look convinced, but Sam put a hand on hers, stopping her from getting up to follow Dean…which Dean was immensely grateful for.  
                Sam knew, sometimes Dean just needed to be on his own. Just like Dean knew Sam needed it sometimes too. He heard the two of them whispering and eased the door open, slipping out while they were occupied.  
                Outside, it was hot, and it was bright…and there was the most intoxicating scent wafting towards him. He sniffed, and tried to identify it. There was suddenly a door in front of him. Apparently, his body  _really_  wanted to follow this scent.  
                The door, however, was troubling him, as it was a number he should know, but his head was not working correctly, and he couldn’t remember  _why_  the number was important—  
                And then the door was open, and he was staring at full lips, brown eyes, and there wasn’t thinking so much as -- _want-need-lust_ \--  
                He didn’t fight it when he was pulled into the motel room by the collar of his shirt, lips crushed against his hungrily, finding himself slammed back against a closed door, and then there was the distinct sound of clothes ripping, and he couldn’t remember when he managed to get his belt off, let alone his boots, but he was being pushed back onto a bed that was a mixture of not so pleasant scents but the one, overpowering one—  
 **  
TWO HOURS LATER  
5 MILES OUTSIDE WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
**  
                Dean snapped back into consciousness feeling the best he had ever felt. It was hot, muggy, and he was covered with sweat, but  _damn_  he hadn’t felt this good since—  
                He froze, blood draining from his face as other sounds began to filter into his conscious mind. Like a shower turning off…coffee bubbling in the ancient coffee maker on the nightstand… And the bathroom door opening. He yanked up the covers, and looked up at the small bathroom. Dean groaned. “Oh, fuck me.”  
                Max stood there, dripping in a towel, and looking vaguely disgusted with herself. “No thank you, I think I did enough of that.”  
                Dean raised his eyebrows and laughed humorlessly. “Not my usual response, and I have no idea…” He glanced under the covers, and, yep, there were no clothes. “Ok. So we definitely had sex.” Max rolled her eyes and tossed another towel at him.  
                “Go take a shower and get out of my room.”  
                He caught it, but didn’t move from the bed. “Seriously, Max, I need a fucking clue here, because last thing I  _definitely_  remember was going outside to take a walk, and then smelling…” He froze again. “Oh son-of-a- _bitch_!” He dropped his head into his hands, and at that moment, really,  _really_  wanted to disappear.  
                However, Max was now looking at him curiously, which he supposed was better than looking like she hated him, and she sat down next to him, still in a towel, and still giving off that  _incredible_  scent…though thankfully to a  _greatly_  diminished capacity. “Uh…Heat, Dean.” She cocked her head to the side. “You’re always with Keegan, you had to know about this.”  
                “Dude, she’s my  _sister_!” He leapt out of the bed, for a moment forgetting he was naked, before grabbing the towel to cover himself. “Um…I’m going back to my room…and going to pretend this never happened…” He shuddered a little. “Um…yeah, it’s been great, seriously…but, I don’t remember most of it, and I love sex as much as the next guy…but…” He fell silent, noticing the glare Max was still sending his way.  
                He took that as his sign to leave (he was only digging himself a deeper pit anyway), and, stopping only to gather what was left of his clothes, he dashed out of the room, and practically ran the two doors back to his own.  
                To his surprise, Alec, Keegan and Sam were all waiting for him on the couch, watching something that was more static then tv. All three, of course, looked up when he burst through the door.  
                “Do I even want to know why you’re in a towel?” Sam asked, looking amused.  
                “I’m more curious to why he looks like he took on a cat-” Alec paused, “You sly dog, you.” Keegan elbowed him hard in the stomach, making the last ‘you’ come out more of an ‘oof’, and Alec rubbed his stomach, pouting.  
                Sam stood, blocking Dean’s path to the bathroom (now equating with ‘safety’ in his head), and leaned in, sniffing. “Dude, smelling me is kinda creepy-”  
                “MAX?!” Sam’s exclamation was loud enough that Dean winced. “Dude, what are you _thinking_? No, scratch that, when it comes to getting laid, you never-”  
                “For having such a sensitive nose, Sammy-boy, you certainly are missing some key pheromones.” Alec said, standing to avoid being hit by Keegan. “She was in heat. My guess? Poor Dean didn’t know what hit him.” Alec reached out and patted Dean on the shoulder; the first time any of them had seen him initiate contact since Tir Nan Og, and offered him a smile. “Complete hostage of your hormones. Thank Manticore for that lovely feline DNA.”  
                “This is so not fair.”  
                “We can certainly count on  _her_  not helping us out now. She’ll be pissed, because she’ll find some way to blame this all on Dean-” Keegan paused, and then backed up. “Whoa, wait a second…if  _she_  went into heat…oh fuck.” And without another word, she stood and headed for the door, which Dean had left open.  
                Dean stared after her curiously until Sam sighed. “It tends to be a time of year thing for them. If Max just went into it…there’s a very good chance that Keegan could be due for it too.” He paused for a moment, looking very uncomfortable. “Ok, seriously, dude, you reek of Max. Go shower.”  
                “Oh, wow, thanks, Sammy. Gee, what would I do without you?” Dean rolled his eyes, and pushed passed Sam to get into the bathroom.  
                An hour later, when the water had been too cold to be bearable any longer, and he had gotten all the visions of what he had  _actually_  done out of his head, he turned off the water, and toweled off. He didn’t even think about it when he opened the door—  
                And saw Alec on the bed, holding something that looked remarkably like a syringe in his hand.  
                Dean’s first instinct was to blur over there, knock it away from him, but, upon focusing his vision, he could tell it was a little late for that. Obviously, whatever it was confused him; he didn’t look up and Dean  _knew_  he made noise coming out of the bathroom.  
                “Alec?” Alec took a long time to look up at Dean, eyes glazed and pupils blown. “Damnit, Alec, what the fuck did you just take?”  
                “It’s not working.” His speech was slurred, and he couldn’t sit up without trembling. Dean tucked his towel as tight as he could, and crossed the short distance to the bed where Alec had decided to shoot up with whatever it was. “It won’t stop, Dad, it won’t  _stop_.”  
                The trembling was getting worse, and Dean knew he was wasting time just standing there. He reached out, taking the syringe from Alec’s limp fingers and carefully pushing on his chest, cradling his head, and laying him back on the bed. “Shh, Alec, seriously, it’s gonna be ok. Just tell me what won’t stop.”  
                “I can’t get…it out…of my…head…” He started coughing, breathing labored and Dean was starting to panic.  
                “Sam!” Dean called out, still kneeling by the bed. Alec had gone pale, so pale.  
                To his surprise, when the door burst in, Sam wasn’t alone. Keegan, Max and Mia were with him; they had all been talking outside while Alec was getting his drug on inside, and  _that_  ticked Dean off.  
                “Alec?” Keegan was there first, her voice hitting a pitch Dean had never heard before. “Oh goddess, Alec, what did you do to yourself?” She dropped down next to Dean, taking over stroking Alec’s sweaty forehead, and trying to sooth him. “Dean, what-”  
                Dean stood, one hand on his towel, the other holding up the syringe, as Sam ran over to the bed, helping Keegan keep Alec from seizing and hurting himself more then he apparently had done before. Mia carefully took the syringe, delicately examining what was left of the liquid inside. “I came out of the shower, and he had that in his hand. I’m assuming he shot himself up with it.” Dean was surprised his voice wasn’t shaking; inside, he was breaking apart. It was eerie, watching his clone shake and tremble, babbling about something while apparently overdosing—  
                “This smells like the beta-adrenergic blocking agents we used on him back at Manticore!” Mia exclaimed, passing the syringe to Max. “He’s been trying to block out the empathy he feels.”  
                “Are we sure he feels anything?” Max snipped, sniffing at the syringe herself. “Because I don’t know about those beta-whatever’s, but this smells like heroine to me.”  
                “Do you really think he’d be able to find Manticore drugs on the black market without them being cut with something?” Mia gave Max a look that was clearly her doing her little ‘thing’. “I think you should give this whole heat thing a rest and start helping Alec because he’s  _not_  Ben, and neither is Dean.”  
                “Yeah…you’re right.” Max said, sounding a little dazed.  
                “Ok!” Mia said, brightening into a smile before turning back to Alec. “I can help him through this…but I can almost guarantee he took more of the drug then suggested. Haven’t you noticed how on edge he’s been?”  
                “He told us that it was the seizures.” Sam said, looking panicked. “He said it was just the seizures!”   
                Dean gripped Sam’s shoulder, trying to force him to calm down. “We need to figure out a better-”  
                “He needs to just wait this out.” Mia said, walking over to Alec and placing a hand on his forehead. “X5s can overdose, but-” She paused, “Alec, honey, how many syringes did you take today?” He made a noise that sounded like ‘Keegan’, and Mia put a hand on the other side of his head, forcing him to look at her. “Alec,” She cocked her head to the side, and Alec mirrored the move, “How many syringes did you take today?”  
                “Two.” He said, in a clearer voice than before.  
                “Why did you take them?” Alec tried to turn his head, to look away, but Mia didn’t release her grip on his chin, and, surprisingly, Keegan also helped keep him looking at the former Psy-Ops operative. “Alec, we need to know-” It figured Alec would be uncooperative.  
                “It hurts! I feel everything and it hurts!” His eyes looked a little clearer. “Is Keegan—Can I see-”  
                “I’m right here, right here.” She whispered, running a hand through his hair. Mia looked over at her, raised her eyebrows, and then looked back at Alec.  
                “Alec, honey, you listen to me. You control your empathy. You don’t need the drugs. If you need help, you ask Keegan. You love Keegan, don’t you?”  
                “Yes.” He said, still sounding dazed.  
                “And you know that your brothers will help you too?”  
                “No.”  
                Dean looked from Alec to Sam, shocked, and a little hurt, but before he could say anything, Mia shushed him. “Why wouldn’t they help you?”  
                “I’m…just a freak experiment. They’re  _chosen_ , special. Even Max thinks I’m a screw up. I can’t hold them back, they have to save the world…”  
                “That’s bullshit, because the world can be damned, we’re not letting you go without a fight, do you hear me?” Dean said, grabbing Alec’s chin and forcing him to look at him. “You are my  _brother_  and I  _never_  want to hear that from you again. You are my family, my pack, and we need you as much as you need us!”  
                There was a long moment, when Alec stared back at Dean, too shocked to move…and then he nodded. And Mia made an ‘oooh’ noise.  
                “Group hug!” And Dean found himself leaning over, feeling Sam’s arms encircling above him, and holding Alec, Keegan and Sam in one large hug.  
                “You do realize that it’s creepy the way you can make people do that.” Max said, startling them all out of their puppy pile. The only person who didn’t leap back was Alec, who apparently was still too weak to move, even though his eyes were a hell of a lot clearer then when Dean had found him.   
                “Uh…thank you.” Dean said, awkwardly, turning to face Mia. “So should we worry about the whole overdose thing?”  
                “Probably not, it takes more than that to harm an X, silly! But I’ll leave you my card just in case.” And she pulled a frilly, flowery business card out of her sleeve, and smiling brightly. “Um…you may want to put some clothes on…”  
                Dean raised his eyebrows before looking down…his towel had managed to come undone, and he wasn’t exactly leaving much to the imagination. He glanced at Max, who was determinedly not looking at him, and ducked to grab the towel that had fallen, covering himself.  
                “As much as I  _really_  didn’t want to know this, it  _is_  amusing to know  _how_  identical we actually are.” Came a rather weak and still slightly slurred voice from Alec, who was managing to smirk through the tremors of being drugged up.  
                It must have been exactly what was needed to be said, because no one in the room could stop laughing for a good fifteen minutes.  
 **  
SECTOR 7  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
SEPTEMBER 28th 2021**  
  
                Otto Gottlieb stood outside a dark, nearly decrepit apartment building just a block from the edge of Terminal City… It was the last lead he had. He had to contact Logan Cale. The man was an informant of Eyes Only,  _and_  the only Ordinary to move  _closer_  to TC after it became home to the transgenic nation.  
                He stepped up to the door buzzer (which he barely had hope actually worked), and rang the one lit button. There was static. “ _What?_ ”  
                “This is Otto Gottlieb…I need your help.” When there was no response, Otto sucked in a breath, and swallowed his pride. “I saw White kidnap an innocent person and I don’t know who else to turn to. I need to talk to Eyes Only…I don’t know how far his influence goes…” For a long moment, Otto was convinced that he was going to be left out in the cold…but then a buzzer sounded, and the door swung open.  
                Logan Cale stood in the doorway, holding a pistol on him. “Hello, Otto. Forgive the paranoia, but…” He shrugged. Otto nodded, holding up his jacket with one hand, and revealing his holster, before unsnapping the closer and removing the pistol, handing it over to Logan. “Ok, come on in. I hope you don’t mind…I called in some back up.”  
                “Completely understood.” At least he was getting somewhere.  
  
 **10 MILES OUTSIDE WHITE SANDS  
NEW MEXICO  
SEPTEMBER 28th 2021**  
  
                “So…Max is gone?” Dean was really hoping his voice didn’t sound so excited by the possibility his latest conquest-gone-terribly-terribly-wrong heading back to Seattle. Granted, the phone call from Logan (which had made Max even  _more_  pissed at him) certainly had sped things up… However, the expression on Sam’s face certainly said he wasn’t fooling anyone. “What?”  
                “I can’t tell if you’re feeling guilty because your hormones went into overdrive, or because you slept with another guy’s girl.”  
                “Neither! I’m just tired of her bitching at me! I had no clue  _that’s_  what being exposed to a-a female in heat was like!” Dean hung his head. “Damn, I  _love_  sex…and  _I_  feel dirty.”  
                “See? Manticore was good for something. And trust me, Transgenic Sex-Ed was probably the most helpful class we had.” Alec said, walking into the living room, closely followed by Keegan. He turned to take the bags she had from her, but she pulled away from him, and pushed passed him, moving to the cot that was her bed in the quieter, less used motel they had found down the road.  
                “Care to fill us in?” Sam asked, smirking. Alec stuck his tongue out. “Well, if we need to stop Dean from jumping Max again-”  
                “I seriously think  _she_  jumped  _me_!” Dean interjected.   
                Sam shot him a look, and Dean went back to sulking. “Anyway…”  
                “What do you want to know?” Alec asked, sitting on his cot, and leaning forward, ignoring Keegan as much as she was ignoring him. “About how, between the ages of twelve to fourteen females with feline and canine DNA started going into heat? How males with similar cocktails could actually scent the changes, starting at age thirteen? How it causes a purely primal instinct to mate until the cycle passes for the chicks, or we stop being bombarded by pheromones? Cause, personally, I think the males get the raw deal…females only go into heat up to four times a year, but us?” He laughed a little. “We can get into that state  _every time_  we smell a female in heat. Don’t worry about Max, she  _knows_  it’s not in our control…but she’s a grade A bitch when it comes to any guy who’s not allergic to her.”  
                Dean sat a moment, and took it all in. “You know, that was the worst sex-ed class I’ve ever sat through.”  
                Alec just rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”  
                “Just pray you didn’t knock her up.” All three Winchesters spun to look at Keegan, who was carefully unpacking her bags, and re organizing everything. When no one spoke, she looked up at them, one hand on her hip. “Oh come on, you guys aren’t that big of idiots. If heat is the female’s mating cycle…it’s also the time when she’s most fertile. Which means, there’s a chance you could  _really_  be a daddy in seven months.” She gave Dean a mocking smile, and turned back to her packing. “And I personally think Logan  _and_  Max would kill you if that were the case.”  
                “Fuck me  _sideways_!” Dean slammed his fist into the head board, before flopping backwards on the bed. Alec reached out and patted him on the shoulder.  
                Sam, however, started snickering. “I think you did that already.”  
                “Shut up, Sam!”  
                There was a long moment of silence, where the only sound was Keegan repacking her bags. And then…Alec suddenly sat up straight, his nose twitching. Keegan tensed from her spot by her cot. A moment later, Sam tensed, and Dean caught another waft of the scent he had smelt—  
                “Ok, so not fair!” Dean spun, ready to tease Keegan, but found himself face to face with Alec, who was breathing heavily, through his mouth as if trying to avoid the scent. “Alec?”  
                Sam glanced at Keegan, then back at Alec, before his eyes widened, and he grabbed Dean’s shoulder, and tugged. “Dude, I don’t think now is the time to mock-”  
                “I was just leaving.” Keegan said, grabbing her now packed bags. “I’ll grab another room, and hitchhike in a couple days, catch up with you.” She started towards the door, but stopped just in time, for Alec had blurred in front of her. Sam looked at Dean, and Dean looked at Sam.  
                “Um…I have a theory about their odd behavior.” Sam muttered.   
                Keegan, however, scoffed at the idea. “Maybe I’m just pissed that, again, someone had to turn to drugs rather than ask for help.”  
                “That’s not the problem and you know it.” Alec growled, stepping closer.   
                Keegan didn’t step back, but dropped her bags, clenching her fists. “Oh yeah? Then tell me, Alec, what is the problem besides you going all wonky when I’m not even fully pheromone-al yet?”  
                “Uh guys-”  
                “Shut up!” They both snapped, not even looking at the brothers. Sam and Dean glanced at each other again, before stepping backwards into the single bedroom that the two of them shared.  
                “Maybe I’m not the one with the problem.” Alec snarled.  
                Keegan raised her eyebrows. “What are you suggesting?”  
                “I  _felt_  you! And all you do is keep denying-”  
                “Hey, now, guys-” Dean started.  
                “Shut UP!” Again, Dean fell silent, as Keegan and Alec yelled simultaneously at him.  
                “I am not denying  _anything_.” Keegan hissed at him. Alec just laughed.  
                “Yeah. Sure.” He leaned closer, close enough to whisper in her ear (though Dean and Sam could still hear his words), “Just like you’re not fully in heat yet, right?”  
                “You want to use my heat cycle as an excuse to be an absolute bastard?” She made to shove him back. “Do you see anyone else having behavioral issues,  _Alec_?”  
                Alec shrugged, giving her a cocky half sneer. Keegan fumed, and when she started to yell again (which Dean was really not looking forward to, his ears were already starting to hurt), Alec leaned in, held her face in both hands, and kissed her.  
                Immediately, Dean started to rush out of the room, but Sam grabbed him by the back of his shirt, effectively holding him back. “What the fuck, man? That’s our  _sister_!”  
                “And did you bother to look at the rest of the records we got in TC?” Sam gestured back towards the living room, where Alec and Keegan were still standing there, though Keegan had wrapped her arms around Alec, and apparently was kissing him back. “I told you I had a theory.”  
                Dean gestured vaguely towards the couple as well. “Can I please go tear my clone’s head off for kissing my sister?” He said in what he thought was a very reasonable tone.  
                “Dean, seriously. We both knew they were head over heels for each other…I think the added pheromones just made everything worse. Especially after everything we just went through.” Sam said, just as the two broke apart.  
                “What the fuck was that?”  
                “Hey, you kissed back!”

                There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and Sam sighed.  “I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.”  
                Dean just gave him a look. “Can I go break it up now?”  
                Sam nodded, looking resigned. “But we are helping them patch this up.” Dean shot him a slightly horrified look over his shoulder.  
                “I am  _not_  setting up my clone and my sister.” He didn’t miss Sam’s muttered ‘you were trying before’, but chose to ignore it in the face that Keegan and Alec were about an inch away from a full out brawl. “ _Really_  interesting foreplay, guys, but let’s get Keegan to her new room, and Alec, why don’t you go hotwire a car for her-”  
                He was cut off by Alec’s hand around his throat, literally lifting him into the air. Sam was immediately by his side, one hand on Alec’s arm, the other keeping Keegan back. Dean made a choked noise, but, taking one look at Alec’s feral gaze, realized his mistake.  
                And he lowered his gaze, letting his body go limp. As much as he hated to show throat (he was the Alpha,  _damnit_ ), he remembered enough from the Discovery Channel to know that he had just stepped in some  _deep_  shit. With all the lovely experience he just had with heat and his feral side…how could it have possibly escaped his notice that Alec would probably see him as a threat to his preferred mate?  
                After a long moment (Dean knew he could hold his breath for 6 minutes, so he wasn’t too worried about the lack of oxygen), he felt Alec’s fingers loosen, and he was dropped onto the floor.   
                Alec was looking down, and had his shoulders hunched. “I’m sorry.” He said in a very defeated voice. He finally glanced up at Sam, still not looking at Dean or Keegan. “I’ll…go find that car now.”  
                “Part two of my theory…” Sam muttered, reaching out a hand to help Dean up. Keegan made a noise, but, before the two of them could look up, she had already picked up her bags and blurred out the door, presumably to get another room.  
                “I wish these little side effects wouldn’t keep cropping up.” Dean muttered, his voice horse and his throat sore. Alec had a  _grip_. “Ok…can we get back to some form of hunting now? I’m a little tired of drama.”  
                Sam glanced up at the door, and with a resigned sigh, nodded. “Yeah…me too.”  
  
 **SOMEWHERE IN CANADA  
SEPTEMBER 30th 2021**  
  
                Castiel closed his eyes, and just  _breathed_. It was over—done—and all he had to do now was wait…  
                He felt tired, which was strange, because; while he did use a large amount of energy to seal the fifth Gate, he never,  _ever_  felt sleepy. However, his eyes started to drop, and Castiel found himself starting to nod off—  
                And suddenly he was wide awake again, and  _very_  aware that he was not where he had been when he had closed his eyes.  
                All around him was black smoke, a formless haze. It was eerie, and shadows crept through the darkness behind him. They weren’t true forms yet, they couldn’t hurt him…yet. And then, as quickly as he had been brought there, the fog was blown away, and he found himself in a massive throne room he had been in now twice.  
                He immediately dropped to his knee. “Arise, Castiel, we are in no mood to play court games.” Castiel obediently stood, and risked a glance up at Mab.  
                Mab was not wearing her usual robes spun of cobwebs and starlight…she was in modern dress, and walking beside her, dressed very similarly, was the new Puck, the brownie he knew as Jirina.  
                And as his eyes settled on her, Jirina gave him a cheerful wave, though her usual bouncy expression was somewhat muted.  
                “To what do I owe the honor of being invited into your presence?”  
                “Speak plain, and save time, Castiel.” Mab said, sounding very tired and worn out.   
                Castiel nodded. “Of course. So what do you want?”  
                “You can’t honestly think you’re ready to seal the last Gate, can you?” Mab asked, settling herself in her throne. Castiel was starting to get a little worried; this entire engagement was breaking every rule that Mab had been operating under since the splitting of the Courts…some millennia ago.  
                “I have to be-”  
                “No, you don’t.” Mab gave a heavy sigh, and impatiently waved one hand. Jirina was instantly at the arm of her throne, and produced a goblet of wine for the High Queen, before suddenly appearing next to Castiel with another. “Castiel, what we are about to tell you must never leave this room.”  
                Warning bells sounded in Cas’ head, but he forced himself to nod, saying “I give my word on that.”  
                As soon as he said it, though, the throne room shrunk to a tiny thing, and Castiel found himself within a foot of the High Queen, far closer than he had ever been. Jirina was still there, standing at the one entrance, and chanting quietly to keep eavesdroppers away.  
                “I am trusting you with something that could destroy the Fae if you break your oath. Please, Castiel, tell me you understand that.”  
                “I do, my lady. I would give up my Grace before I break an oath to you.”  
                Mab sat back in her throne, nodding. “Giving you this information could be seen as me taking a side…but I value your services, Castiel, you bring honor to the Faerie, even though you are made by Yahweh…”She closed her eyes. “Your superiors do not expect you to be able to seal the last gate. While your Father would have given you more to work with, to adapt…” She paused again. “Yahweh is missing, Castiel, and the orders you have been following have been coming from someone who is not your Father. So far, they have been in good conscious with your Father’s beliefs…but…” She trailed off ominously.  
                Castiel couldn’t help it. “But, what?”  
                “But, if they did not expect you to seal the last gate, then you must know you were sent on a fool’s errand. They mean to battle Hell  _now_. Since you, and your wards, almost single-handedly defeated Lilith’s plan to bring her father to earth, whoever is in control of Heaven’s forces now wants you to fail now…” She closed her eyes. “Yahweh is a dear friend…and He often takes the guise of humans…He loves to walk among you. One day, he did not return.” She closed her eyes again, as if fighting a head ache. “I’m truly sorry, I am trying to not make this a riddle, but it is hard to deny who you are.”  
                “I understand.”  
                “Do you?” She peered at him, and from this distance, Castiel could have sworn she was looking past his human host (who was starting to  _really_  hate physical wings), and at Castiel the Angel. “You need to find Yahweh on the mortal plain…only with Him can you seal the final gate.” She suddenly looked up, to where Jirina was guarding the door. “We have been too long. Go!”  
                And Castiel was back in the frozen land, looking out at the circular crater where the fifth Gate had once been.  
 **  
SOMEWHERE IN NEW MEXICO  
OCTOBER 1st 2021**  
  
                “Do you see her yet?” Alec asked for the twentieth time that hour, still peering anxiously out the window.  
                Dean picked up one of the large, leather bound tomes and cocked his arm back to throw at the rather obnoxious clone, but Sam was suddenly there, and swiping the book from him. “No, Dean. I told you, I don’t think he can help it.”  
                “Doesn’t mean I still don’t want to strangle the whelp.” Sam rolled his eyes, and sat on the dusty bed next to Dean.  
                The fact that the bed was dusty was something Dean hated. They were heading back towards Wyoming; not like they had any other ideas for a heading, besides the fact that Castiel had wanted them there. And, by some strange coincidence, the places where the mass sacrifices were taking place made a perfect pentagram…the reverse pentacle of the iron rail road lines that Samuel Colt had built to contain the Devil’s Gate all those years ago, which put Wyoming dead center. Mia hadn’t realized the wealth of information they had gleaned from her “little bit of interest”, as she put it, but Dean was figuring he at least owed her a drink if she was still at Terminal City when they got back.   
                Sam had actually suggested a Thank You Card. Dean had to keep both hands on the wheel to keep from punching him for even suggesting it.  
                But, thankfully, they were now out of that hellish car (and Sam had stopped making ludicrous propositions)…but Keegan had called, and said she was heading out. Which, of course, had sparked Pretty Boy into spastic mode. Dean thought he was being  _very_ good; he hadn’t tried to kill him. Yet.  
                Speaking of, “Are you sure this isn’t just because Alec’s still amped up on the No-Feel pill?” Sam gave him a  _very_  dirty look and Dean almost felt bad about what he said. Almost.  
                “I think they may be mates.”  
                “Not in any place I’m staying.” And there was Sam’s look again. Dean sighed, “Ok, ‘mates’. What the fuck do you mean?”  
                Sam paused just long enough to hear Alec mutter something about stealing her a faster car before he shook his head again. “I mean, I don’t think Manticore wanted this to happen. When they designed us, they had to take deep parts of human instinct and blend it with animals. Humans have a natural instinct to want to be with someone…mix in the feline possessiveness, hyper vigilance, and feral instinct when it comes to claiming a mate during the breeding season, add a touch of the wolf we know is in the Alpha code…”  
                Dean’s eyes widened as he finally caught on. “You’re talking a Mate…like…life-mate.”  
                Sam shrugged. “I don’t know about life, but probably for a  _long_  time. I think when Keegan shielded him in Tir Nan Og, they both got hit with the others emotions, and are so confused but want the other so bad, that they’ve twisted themselves around. Hence, the fighting…”  
                “I sure as hell hope that never happens to me.” Dean said, shivering to himself. “Think it only works if the other’s an X5?”  
                “Or similarly compatible X series. I’m not saying it’s any different from love, Dean, just…”  
                “A hell of a lot more feral…” Dean took a deep breath. “God fucking damnit, does that mean I have to actually step back and  _let_  him be with Keegan? And vice versa? I mean, seriously…”  
                “He might challenge you as Alpha if you cock-block him this time, Dean. And as funny as that sounds, it’s scarily true. He nearly did when you just tried to stop the two of them fighting.” Sam pointed out, scarily rational.  
                Dean hated it when he was winning was logic and reason. “Why can’t we have simple fucking-?”  
                “She’s here!” There was a blur, the sound of splintering wood, and Dean was able to just catch the heel of Alec’s foot through the broken door. Dean sighed, and got up, walking with Sam over to the window. Keegan had indeed walked within scent range, presumably having dumped the stolen car a click or so back. Alec had stopped just shy of her, and was looking at her awkwardly, as if he didn’t know exactly what to do now that she was here. Sam rolled his eyes at Keegan’s similarly blank expression, and tugged Dean away from the window.  
                “They’ll never get anywhere if they think you’re spying on them.”  
                “That’s a good thing. I don’t want no funny…business…” Dean frowned. “Fuck, I  _do_  sound like a dad.”  
                Sam looked up, a smile quirking the corners of his mouth. “Are you sure you want to say that? You could be tempting fate.” Dean threw a convenient book at Sam, not caring that Sam dodged it.  
                “Shuddup. Give me back my book…I wanna do some more research on how the hell to stop them from calling Lilith back from Hell.”  
                “You mean aside from finding the tablet with her names on it before the Psycho Cult?”  
                “Sam, we can’t seriously check  _every fucking dig site_  to see if they missed it. Besides, if they miss the deadline—there is a deadline, right?” Sam nodded, opening up one of the tomes on the bed; one of Bobby’s.   
                “I found some references to this plague…and they also mention a comet. I dunno, maybe the comet heralds the plague or something, but in any case, the comet is due to arrive October 31st of this year…” Sam looked up at Dean. “The same day that Castiel wanted us to meet him at the Wyoming Gate.”  
                “Well, that’s convenient.” Dean blinked. “We really need to stop having Fate, like, right there! Lady Luck I wouldn’t mind seeing more of, but seriously, Fate needs to stop running our fucking  _lives_.”  
                “I dunno…kinda makes me feel like we’re on the right track.” Sam said, not looking up from the book he was reading, which looked like Latin, but was hard to tell, as Dean was trying to read it upside down. After a moment, he paused, looking up. “It’s awfully quiet out there.”  
                Dean stood and walked to the window, peering out. It was that horrible twilight; too bright for night vision but too dark for normal vision to be affective, and Dean could just make out Keegan and Alec sitting on the old curb, not talking, just staring out over the landscape.  
                But, (and Dean wouldn’t say anything just yet, just in case he was seeing a trick of the damned light), it looked like they were holding hands.   


	15. Chapter 15

**GILLETTE**  
 **WYOMING**  
 **OCTOBER 2021**  
  
                Dean did not want to submit.   
                Submitting meant forgetting, forgetting meant conforming, and conforming meant…Well, he couldn’t really remember  _what_  the importance of not conforming was, but everyone in his unit was counting on him to keep it together and stay...non-conformist.   
                The last time, when they dragged Sam, and Alec, and Keegan away, Dean felt himself slipping. He would submit, if it saved his family, he would forget, and he would conform.   
                Whatever the fuck that meant.  
                “I didn’t catch that, slime.”   
                Dean gritted his teeth, and let it go. He felt his anger slip away, locked down with the same parts of him that loved classic cars and what Sam and Alec deemed ‘mullet rock’. “X5-112!”

 

***

 

                X5-112 sometimes hated the chain of command, especially when it meant disciplining his younger twinned lieutenant. X5R-494 (who  _insisted_  on being called ‘Alec’ despite countless reprimands and several not-so-minor punishments), was incredibly gifted, and would have probably been CO of the unit had he not been such a problem child.  
                112 secretly thought it was because of their  _other_ twin, X5-493, who had been recaptured this past year after his disastrous escape in 2009. 493 had been successfully re-indoctrinated and returned to their unit…which had caused some problems for 494. Of all of the twinned units, X5R-494 had spent the most time in Reindoctrination as a direct result of the actions of his genetic duplicate.  
                The claim that 493 was a shape shifter, though,  _that_  was a new one.  
                112 had broken up the fight, and 494 had actually looked hurt and confused, like he expected 112 to agree with him. In desperation, he had called on X5-113 to help him, but, as usual, the hulking 6’4’’ X5 deferred to 112’s call. Now panicking (and apparently unaware that 112 had already signaled for security, and that said Ordinaries were now rushing towards them) 494 had turned to X5R-105, a female in the unit.  _She_  had raised an eyebrow, but otherwise made no move to aide 494.   
                That was when the self-proclaimed ‘Alec’ had  _really_  started to raise hell.  
                So, when 112 found himself once again outside of 494’s quarters, he allowed himself a sigh. This was not going to be fun.  
                He nodded to the Ordinary guard to open the door.  
                Predictably, 494 leapt to his feet, but not to attention, as would be expected. “Dean! Thank god! Now what are we going to do about that shifter?” 112 cocked an eyebrow (‘Dean’ sounded very familiar), but this ‘shifter’ business was going to get the kid sent to Psy-Ops yet again if he didn’t shut it up quick.  
                “I have no idea what you are talking about.” 112 said, making sure his younger clone knew there was no room for debate on that subject. That bought him a look of stunned surprise, and he vaguely hoped he didn’t look that stupid when he was shocked.   
                But, apparently, 494’s surprise was short lived, because he was talking…again. “Dean, come on. Max told you. She  _killed_  Ben…you know? X5-493? My twin?  _You_  read it in the papers when you were outside.”  
                112 chuckled. “I have yet to be deployed outside the base perimeter, 494. You’re the only one of our unit who got cleared, remember?” He didn’t miss the shudder that passed over 494 at the mention of his designation.  
                “My name is Alec. Alec Winchester.”  
                A ghost of a smirk passed over 112’s face. “Cute. Like the rifle. Now stop that, or I’ll have to report you for that again.”   
                The younger clone went ghastly pale. “You’re really… _Manticore_ …aren’t you?”  
                “We all are.”  _He should know that, he was our best operative till we got that new unit-mate…_ , 112 sighed. “494, I know you don’t like 493…you  _did_  end up in Psy-Ops for a whole six months because of him…but that’s no reason to try to  _kill_  a guy.”   
                There was a long moment where 494 stared at him, beyond him, almost as if he was _scenting_ …and 112 could have sworn he heard him say, “I guess I’m on my own.” But before he could comment on the matter, 494’s demeanor completely changed.  
                There were notes in 494’s file that 112 couldn’t possibly be privy too. Such as that 494 had been flagged for being manipulative, and too good of an actor to be trusted. So when 494 straightened up to perfect attention, his face going good soldier blank, and said, “Sorry, sir, won’t happen again, sir.”, 112 was only a little bit suspicious.  
                He should have been much more.

 

***

 

                “So, when we move-” There was a loud snore from the back of the war room, and X5-112 slowly closed his eyes, trying to keep his temper from overwhelming him. “X5R-494!”  
                There was a snort, and then the sound of a chair being pulled up straight, as if the sitter hadn’t noticed he had been leaning back dangerously.  
                It was all very nicely staged, as there was no sleepiness in 494’s eerily reflecting eyes. 112 fought the chill back down (he had no idea why the reflective lenses of all of his peers creeped him out so much), and focused back on 494. “Since you would rather sleep then help us plan this mission, I figure you’ve got it all worked out.”  
                Anyone else in his unit would have backed down. Even now, 113 was tensing, as if itching to stand at attention, like a good soldier. If only 494 had  _an ounce_  of 113’s eagerness to please…   
                But, of course, this was 494. “Considering that this isn’t even real, I don’t see a point to. Sides, we’d all of just have died crossing that bridge. They have an extra encampment there as a backup.”  
                “Now how the fuck would you know that?” Snarled 105, turning in her seat to glare at 494 with a vehemence that caused him to shift a little uneasily.  
                “105! You’re outta line!” It was whispered, and slightly panicked, and, of course, came from 113.  
                “And they called me crazy-” muttered 493. 494 snarled, launching himself out of his chair, and 112 had to blur to get between the two before 494 could do serious damage to his older twin. In fact, it took nearly half the unit to break the two apart, and neither seemed to mind getting 112 in the cross fire, after all, he did look like them. A little.  
                “494, you are to report to the Box!” 112 yelled, hating himself for having to proceed. But his superiors had given him strict orders in regards to 494. And 112 followed orders.

 

***

 

                “What the hell are you? Some kind of freaky masochist?”  
                “I prefer ‘happy go-lucky sociopath’.” 112  _really_  wanted to punch something. Specifically the grinning X5 in front of him who, despite being locked in a box roughly four by four feet and refused food and water for three days, was grinning at him like the cat that caught the canary.  
                “How are you feeling?” Not only had they been refusing him food and water, the doctors had been instructed to lower his dose of tryptophan. And  _that_  should have made Alec (494-494- **494** ), feel none too good.  
                “I’m great!” He said, and almost sounded it too. Well, the Director had been right, 494 was an incredible actor. 112 could see his hands shaking, though.  
                “All you need to do is honestly tell us you’re done going after your twin. Seriously, 493 isn’t that bad-” He knew he had already lost his clone when the yellow-green eyes hardened, and 494 yanked his arm away from 112 to stand fully on his own two feet.  
                “That’s not 493.” He snarled. “ _You’re_  Dean. And my  _name_  is  _Alec._ ”   
                It really hurt him to watch the Ordinaries shove 494 back into the box. He would have looked away…but the minute he did ( _submit-submit_ )—  
                X5-112 wasn’t there when they released 494 six days later.

 

***

 

                112 sighed, frowning at the incomplete pile of mission reports in the file he was supposed to present to the Director…“Have you seen 105?” 113 shook his head, looking slightly upset. 112 gave him a smile and patted his shoulder. “Eh, never mind. I’m sure she’s on the range. She’s been requesting more time to make for the low scores in sniper training this week.”  
                “Do you want me to go get her, sir?” Always so eager to please.  
                112 shook his head. “I got it.” He said, waving his hand, and heading off in the direction of the indoor range. Things had been going a lot smoother since 494 had been released from the Box the second time…apparently, continuous, complex seizures for five days had gotten the message through to him. They had denied him Tryptophan the second time in.  
                In fact, 493 and 494 could even stand in designation order without either one of them making a negative move or glance in the other’s direction.  
                In hindsight, that was a false sense of security.  
                When 112 entered the compartment section of the range, he noticed two things immediately; there was a distinct lack of gun fire, and there was more than one person in the range. While that wasn’t completely alarming; X5s were social beings after all, there was  _very_  little in the way of sanctioned conversation.  
                “Seriously, Alec, A lot of that is pretty hard to swallow. I mean, you think this is some sort of, whadijacallit,  _trickster_ , and that just sounds…” 105 gave a low whistle. “ _Crazy_ , that’s what.” 112 fought the compulsion to slam his palm against his forehead. This _obviously_  wasn’t a  _trickster_ — 112 shoved the stray thought back down where it belonged; far away.  
                “Keegan, you  _know_  this stuff, better than me. Hell, whatever Sam and Dean didn’t teach me, you did. And…” 494 sounded strained, afraid. “I think I’m in way over my head here. I can’t solve this on my own.”  
                105 made a noise that sounded like disbelief. “Why me?”  
                494 gave a humorless laugh. “Keegan, you’ve been my partner in crime for far too long to stop now.” Stepping forward, 112 now had a visual on 105 and 494… and the latter was standing  _far_  too close to 105 for this to be called ‘casual’. But, it was the look on his face that stopped 112 from just rushing in and breaking up this unauthorized fraternizing; 494 looked almost sad. “And…I love you. You love me. Remember? We just got through all of this…” He closed his eyes, before whispering, “Tá mo chroí istigh ionat.”  
                112 knew enough of world languages to understand it was some sort of Gaelic (well, he thought  _chroí_  was  _heart_  anyway), and  _that_  was three kinds of weird. Manticore didn’t teach Gaelic. At least, not to 494. Or 105, for that matter, but  _something_  stirred in her, and she looked up at him with something that looked like recognition—  
                And 112 was moving forward because 494 had seen it too, and had leaned down and kissed his unit-mate; and perhaps worse, 105 was actively returning the kiss.   
                “Aahten-TION!” Thankfully, both responded to his drill sergeant voice, and leapt apart, standing at attention. 105 gave a nearly audible gulp, and 494 glanced at her before returning his eyes directly into De—5-112’s. 112 felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle at the blatant challenge to his authority; this was above and  _beyond_  what he pulled before. “What the  _hell_  do you think you’re doing? Answer, 494!”  
                “What’s it look like…sir.” 494 smirked.  
                112 very nearly growled, but kept it back. This wasn’t a time for the feral side to come out; this was when the superior soldier was needed. “Don’t think me stupid, soldier. What. Do. You. Think. You’re.  _Doing_.”  
                494, who had been keeping his gaze glued to the spot just under 112’s chin, looked up at 112 through his eyelashes, keeping his head tilted down. “None. Of . Your. Business.” And if it could get worse, 494 leaned in closer to 112, smirking, “ _Dad_.”   

                112 barely had time to register the  _anger-annoyance-damn-you-Alec_ that surged when he realized he had struck out. And 494 was on the ground, his lip was bleeding, and his jaw was already starting to darken with a bruise. 105 barely flinched, her jaw tightening, but, glancing at 112, wisely remained at attention.  
                However, if 494 was disturbed by any of this, he didn’t show it. He prodded at his busted lip, and raised his eyebrows, making a ‘huh’ noise. “At least I got your attention this time,”   
                112 turned on his heel, leaving 105 to help 494 up. He was tired of fighting this damned battle with him constantly. Let them have their moment. Let Alec ( _494_!), have his delusions that none of this was real, that he had to ‘wake them up’.  
                112 was done. He was going to his superiors.

 

***

               

                “Come on, 112, you know this is harsh.”   
                112 just put his head down, and continued walking forward at a clipped pace, getting ever more frustrated that 113’s long legged gate was allowing him to pace him easily. “This has gone beyond me, 113.” He was vaguely considering blurring, but that would be unnecessary, and really, kind of childish. A large part of him still wanted to do it anyway.  
                “After the whole Berrisford incident, he’s been fragile! Come on, you knew that, I knew that…and we have to admit 493 just showing up in our unit  _is_  freaky. And almost like they’re punishing him…” 113 fell into his thoughts, and for a moment, 112 honestly hoped that he’d be able to lose him the old fashioned way…but, even when lost in his thoughts, 113 had no problem keeping up with him.  
                “I’ve had enough of his bullshit.” And, giving a glance up and  _still_  finding 113 pacing him easily, he snarled, “Seriously, did they put Sasquatch in your cocktail or something?”  
                112 was a little surprised when he suddenly found himself alone in the hallway. He slowed, glancing over his shoulder. 113 ( _Sammy_ ) had stopped dead in his tracks, and was staring at 112 like he was just seeing him for the first time. “Dean?”   
                112 cocked an eyebrow, and then shook himself. Coincidence. That, or hell, Alec (damnit, 494!), had started calling him that behind his back. Either way, still easier to just go dump it on Renfro’s lap.  
                But when he got to her door, he found himself hesitating just a little. Maybe this was a tad harsh…  
                His decision was made for him when the door was suddenly pulled open, and he stood there, blinking rather stupidly at his fist raised above air.  
                Renfro, all blonde pixie hair and too much make up, stared at him for a moment, looking surprised. But she hid it well. “Ah, X5-112. And what can I do for you?”  
                “I’m here to report another incident, ma’am.” He said, trying to sound as impartial as possible.  
                She made an ‘ah’ noise that made 112’s skin crawl. “And what has our dear Smart-Aleck done now…”   
                112 swallowed hard; if felt like there was a lump in his throat, she was taking far too much pleasure in this, but was firm in his resolve. “He was fraternizing with X5R-105 on the rifle range, ma’am.”  
                “Come now…we encourage companionship in our units. They’re your brothers and sisters…”   
                That just sounded  _wrong_. It  _was_  just wrong, and against everything he was ever taught at Manticore. But things were different, now, and here he was, answering anyway…  
 _You’re a fucking pussy, you can’t even stand up to some bleach blonde cougar._  
                “To elaborate…” He paused, the thought striking him too hard, too true.  
                She drummed her nails (those tacky fucking nails), against the door frame, and the sound made him grind his teeth. “I’m waiting, 112.”  
 _Fuck you, lady, my_ name _is-_  
                He shook his head, silencing that little voice that sounded defiant ( _right_ ). “He kissed her.” Simple, plain. No need to tell her about the ‘trickster’, or the ridiculous love bullshit. No need for this to be worse than it was already going to be.  
                But she smiled, and it was so… _evil_. “Reindoctrination.” The word was sickening on her lips. And it brought back memories… (Oh god, had he…). She was looking at him, eyebrow raised.  
                No, not at him. Behind him.   
                112 turned, and saw 494 standing in the hallway behind him, looking almost…broken. “This…can’t…no…” His eyes were wide, his face pale…he was terrified. “No, no, no, Dean, can’t you see? Don’t you see who it is?”  
                “Take him now!” And the guards were there impossibly fast, or maybe his world was slowing because he  _felt_  for the kid. “You.” 112 spun, looking down at Renfro with shocked eyes. “You’re going to watch.”  
                And 112 followed her because he followed orders. But a deeper part of him was sickened and disgusted.  _Fucking lap dog._

 

***

 

                He arrived just in time to see them put Alec up on the rig. Alec saw him, and flashed him a cocky smile, as if he wasn’t about to be tortured into submission, losing his memories and everything that made him ‘Alec’ as the red laser bore the doctrine of Manticore into his brain for the fourth time in his life. 112 wondered how there had ever been anything left the first three times.  
                “Here to watch the fun, eh, 112?” He made his designation sound so scathing. “‘Fraid it won’t be much of a floor show…” and he laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “My worst fucking nightmare…”

                “Turn it on.”   
                Alec didn’t even get a chance to brace himself before the harsh red light streamed into his right eye. The small cry of pain that slipped from his lips was just the beginning.  
                He was writhing in seconds. He lost the ability to control his voice in minutes.  
                Whimpering, trying to keep his mouth shut, small yelps and other not so human noises escaped despite his best efforts. His eyes were tearing, and he was trembling.  
                112 wanted it over then.  He couldn’t help but whimper when he saw Alec’s eyes start to go blank.  _They can make you forget anything…_  Pain could drive the mind to that.  
                This pain was designed to…and he had signed his little brother up…

                And then something snapped in his head. This was  _Alec_.  _Sam_  was here, in this hell, and so was  _Keegan_.   
                It was the same moment that Alec broke, and X5R-494 cried out in a scream of submission.

“What’s your designation?”  
                “X…X5…X5R-494…ma’am!” 494 rasped, broken, and Renfro looked as if Christmas had come early.  
                “Good. Take him to solitary to rest up before he rejoins the unit. And you, 112. Report back to your barracks, but send Kee-” she coughed a little, and cleared her throat. “Excuse me!”  
                “Bless you, ma’am.” Dean deadpanned, forcing his face blank despite her slip up.  
                “Send 105 to my office. Dismissed.” He snapped to attention and then executed an About Face before walking down the hall.  
 _Well now…Ain’t this a predicament…_

 

***

 

                His first instinct was to get Sam and Keegan, and see if they remembered…but from their initial greetings, he knew better. They still thought he was on Renfro’s side. He nearly snarled aloud at the thought. And if she was going after Alec…then she’d go after them too. Keep them safe…  
                But there was no reason why he couldn’t try to unravel this mystery.

 What sparked his interest was, considering the size of the military base, there was almost no security. But, when there was an event, the human guards had no difficulty overwhelming the transgenics in both strength and numbers. He even went so far as to look for the security office. There was none on the levels he had clearance for. The guards apparently appeared from nowhere.  
                To Dean, that meant there were several options: trickster, spell, they weren’t really human, and finally, maybe that the Ordinaries were just  _that_  good.  
                He seriously doubted the last.  
                But, he  _did_  know that Renfro (or whoever was being Renfro, because that bitch was  _dead_ and why the  _fuck_ hadn’t he realized that before?) was behind it all. So, justifiably, it was time to pay her a visit.  
                Sneaking into her office was almost ridiculously easy; she underestimated X5s all around. Well, that was a plus in Dean’s book, because that meant that she wasn’t calling on actual Renfro’s memories, just whatever was in their heads.  
                That also eliminated the possibilities of it being a trickster, and he had never heard of a spell sending someone into a weird place where their least favorite and most haunting people who died were alive.  
                “Hmm. Now what could you be looking for, 112?” Dean froze, and mentally cursed himself in every language he knew. He didn’t need to turn to know that the voice belonged to The-Renfro-That-Wasn’t. “Turn around now, slowly.”  
                He started to, catching a flash of someone else’s face before Renfro’s appeared again. He blinked again, hoping for the event to repeat itself, but it didn’t. “I…uh…lost my keys?”  
                “Nice try, Dean.” Renfro aimed at his leg, and fired, but Dean was ready for it, and had already blurred, moving fast enough to disarm— “Ooh…seriously…nice try.” Dean grasped at her arm, wondering how the hell Renfro was strong enough to hold him off the ground…can’t breathe…can’t…

_My worst fucking nightmare…_  
                The thought forced Dean’s eyes open. Alec.  _My worst fucking nightmare._  Alec had given him the fucking clue!  
                “You’re not…real!” Renfro stepped back, her grip easing a little. He felt his feet hit the ground. “I’m dreaming. You’ve taken the African Dream Root. I won’t ask how you got our DNA, I mean, we have it lying all over the place, they keep making clones and shit…” He grabbed her wrist again, hearing bones snap under his grip. She gasped in pain. Dean grinned. “See, Manticore gave us a little mental training against torture. I think I can play ball with a dream you’re fucking with. Especially now that I figured you out.”  
                “I can still kill them before you find a way out.” She was sounding panicked.  
                Dean leaned closer, snickering. “I don’t  _need_  you to wake us up. I’m damn sure we can do it ourselves. But I think  _you_  doing it will be quicker. So here’s how it’s gonna go down: I’m going to ask you  _once_  to wake us up—that’s me, Sammy, Alec and Keegan—and you’re going to do it.” He grinned, baring teeth. “Otherwise, Ruby, I kill you, here and now.” She flinched backwards, but the moment he called her name, Renfro disappeared, and the mysterious woman who had saved Sammy’s ass after they accidentally took on the Seven Deadly Sins appeared. Her eyes were black, and her face looked like it had been through Hell and back; her dream self. “You know, Sam would have  _never_  touched you if he saw you like this. Gross much?”  
                “Why should I help you?” She snarled.  
                “You can’t go smoking away here.” He didn’t think she expected him to know that; her eye widened just a touch. “And if you die here, you’re not waking up out there.” He darted a hand out, locking it around her throat. She dreamed she was human, and now _Dean_  had control. “Wake. Us. Up.  _Now._ ”

 

***

 

                With a gasp, Dean sat up straight in bed, breathing heavy. By the sounds coming from his left and right, Sam, Alec and Keegan had all woken up, too.  
                “What….the fuck…was that?” Keegan gasped, sides heaving, and looking very,  _very_ scared. Alec (who was trembling something fierce himself), wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and placing a kiss in her hair, murmuring to her.  
                Leaving the two of them to sort themselves out, Dean turned to Sam, who was looking vaguely panicky. “You holding up ok?”  
                “Dream root?” Sam asked, gesturing to the beds. Dean nodded. After a moment, he dove for his cell phone. Dean raised an eyebrow, mildly alarmed at his brother’s behavior. “Damnit, Dean, we’ve been out for over a day!”  
                “Felt like a hell of a lot longer.” Dean shrugged. “On that note, we are  _so_  killing the bitch when we find her. That’s no longer up for debate.”  
                “Ruby?” Alec asked, sounding smug. Dean nodded. “Heh, told ya.”  
                Sam turned, looking at Alec with his questioning face. “Hey, how  _did_  you realize it was just a dream? Obviously the rest of us were…” He made several gestures to which the means were lost on Dean.  
                Alec, too, because he looked a little confused. “Good question. I just…I dunno…  _knew_. And then, they had Ben come in…and it  _definitely_  wasn’t real. It just seemed too much like a nightmare-ish Manticore…surprisingly, punishments at Manticore weren’t  _that_ bad…unless you did something like try to save your mark…” He snickered. “She must have had a long time to dig around my head and get that info too…”  
                “Well, I want to kill the bitch.” Said Sam, eyes darkening.   
                Keegan nodded, adding , “I second that!” Alec nodded enthusiastically.  
                Dean just smiled grimly. “Well…Sammy, how do you feel about tracking down the scent…”


	16. Chapter 16

**RED BANK  
NEW JERSEY  
OCTOBER 3rd 2021**  
  
                Castiel realized he was very,  _very_  out of his league.   
                Finding his Father, the very task was impossible. This was why he found himself following leads from some of the stupidest sources imaginable, including a blonde man who had smoked far too much marijuana and his oddly silent companion. However, leaning on the railing of the board walk, looking out over the ocean, he could easily see the allure of this spot…and why the Almighty could be imagined here. But, He wasn’t here.  
                He hadn’t been in Beijing, Jerusalem or Tibet either. To be honest, those places had seemed far more likely places to find God. After all, post-Pulse America wasn’t the nicest or most faith inspiring place in the world.  
                He had a feeling that, somehow that wasn’t part of the criteria…hence the search outside his normal channels. After all, he wasn’t even sure ‘who’ he was looking for; while Castiel always knew God as Father, that didn’t mean the human guise He took (or was forced into), was male in any sense.  
                Castiel felt himself heave a huge sigh. Apparently Jimmy could appreciate the enormity of the task as well.  
  
 **ROUTE 25  
COLORADO  
OCTOBER 4th, 2021**  
  
                “Mother-fucking-cock-sucking-piece-of-shit!” Sam winced, glancing back towards the car he  _used_  to think was a tank. That is, until it randomly decided to break down only six miles into Colorado, on a main highway.  
                In all honesty, that completely explained Dean’s litany of curses coming from inside the engine mount of the car. However, it did  _not_  explain how the scent trail that Sam had been able to track as far as the New Mexico Border Police suddenly went cold the very _second_  they passed into Colorado.   
                Alec had wandered off into the forest, attempting to find some sign of civilization, and Keegan had been making short ‘ports along the strangely deserted highway to see how far the nearest gas station was. However, left alone with Dean and the former tank-of-a-car, Sam was getting a very  _bad_  feeling. This entire thing was  _wrong_.  
                “ _La mère d'âne baise la chienne_!” Sam let his head drop. Dean had resorted to cursing in French, which was never a good sign. “ _Le fichu moteur est un morceau de merde ! Sammy ! Nous volons la prochaine voiture qui conduit par_!”  
                “English, Dean.” He understood barely half of what his brother said, so it was doubly annoying to hear him speaking fucking French. He caught a flash of green eyes glaring at him from a grease-stained face before Dean straightened fully, wiping his hands on an old t-shirt-turned-rag.  
                “This engine is a piece of shit. We’re stealing the next car that drives by.” He threw the rag at the car with much more force than necessary, and stormed towards Sam. Sam, for his part, held out a bottle of water rescued from the back of the car before it got too hot, which Dean grabbed, literally tearing off the neck of the bottle to gulp back the liquid.  
                “Thirsty much?” Alec quipped, emerging from the woods with nary a hair out of place and stealing Sam’s already open water bottle. Sam shot him a glare, but Alec smirked and ignored him. “How’s the car?”  
                “ _Comment pensez-vous que la fichue voiture va_?” Dean snapped. Alec cocked an eyebrow. Dean sighed, “I said…”  
                “ _Je sais que vous avez dit, l'âne muet. Je me demande pourquoi vous l'avez dit en français_.” Alec replied, cocking an eyebrow.   
                Sam looked between the two and then shrugged. “Ok, you guys officially lost me.”  
                “What, you don’t speak French?” Alec now looked confused. “Ok, I knew you guys jumped ship early, but, seriously, not speaking one of the five prerequisite languages…”  
                “Five?!”  
                Alec looked between the two of them. “Ok…freaky talking in unison thing…” He gave them another odd look before shrugging. “All units had to be fluent in the five basic languages before being cleared to study more.”  
                “We only got two a piece.” Sam said, looking vaguely disappointed.   
                Alec smirked. “Serves you right for skippin’ out early.”  
                “Ok, so you speak five-” Dean started.  
                “Thirteen, actually.” Alec’s smirk widened. “Feeling inadequate yet?”  
                Dean glared. “Why you _petit morceau stupide de merde_...”   
                Sam sighed, “Are you happy now? You’re really-” He stopped, staring at Alec.  
                Alec, who held up a hand, peering at Dean very closely. “What was that?” He asked him.  
                “ _Pourquoi vous le petit morceau stupide de merde! Que? Vous ne l'avez pas obtenu la première fois_?” Dean snapped, swaying a little.  
                Alec ignored Dean’s very angry French, instead darting his gaze from one of Dean’s eyes to the other. “Sam, get behind him.”  
                Sam blinked once, stepping forward. “What?”  
                “Get behind him,  _now_.” And as Alec said it, Dean suddenly went very pale, his eyes rolled back in his head, legs giving out. Alec managed to grab a shoulder, but Sam had managed to question  _and_  move at the same time, and caught Dean under his shoulders, easing him to the ground. Alec knelt alongside him, one hand pressing against Dean’s pulse point, the other tugging down Dean’s eyelid.  
                “How the hell did-”  
                “His French was broken. And his pupils were dilated; it’s midday, they should have been pin pricks. Not to mention his eyes are shaking.” Alec cut him off, his demeanor shifting completely to a cool and professional manner. “His pulse is erratic…how much tryptophan has he had?”  
                Sam couldn’t help but balk. “You mean he’s having a seizure?!”   
                Alec glanced away from Dean long enough to shoot Sam a withering look. “Does it look like I  _know_  what’s happening? Dude, I got advanced field med, and that’s it. I thought he was having a stroke.”  
                “A  _stroke_?!” Sam’s voice went up a few octaves.  
                “Now I know why Dr. House hates patients so much.” Alec muttered, moving from Dean’s pulse to running his hands over Dean’s skull, obviously checking for surface wounds. “I have no idea what’s going on, Sammy. Just try to keep cool, it’s all we can do.”  
                Sam glanced down at Dean, lying unconscious in his arms, then back at Alec, who looked more like a soldier then Sam had ever seen him. “I don’t think this is natural.”  
                Alec scoffed. “Oh, sure, Sam, cause all the evidence points to the fact that something supernatural just happened, and Dean’s brain just happened to forget that English is its first language. Sam, come on!” At that moment, Alec had eerily sounded like Dean, to the point that Sam had actually glanced down at the prone form in his arms to see if Dean had spoken.   
                Keegan suddenly appeared near the car, obviously looking for Dean, but, after seeing no one there, blinked out of existence, and appeared next to Alec. “What the fuck happened?”  
                “If I got five fucking minutes to actually examine him maybe I’d find out!” Alec snapped at her, but she shoved him out of the way.  
                “Yeah, right. I actually took the medical route, tomcat.” Alec started to push her back but she held up a hand, cradling a small fire in her palm threateningly. “Need I remind you I have more medical experience?” The flame disappeared, and she returned both hands to Dean, now running both hands over his head, neck and shoulders with a detachment that was freakish. “This doesn’t make sense…”  
                “Like I said.” Alec muttered. And then he looked at Sam, eyes widening. “Oh shit.”  
                Sam looked at him for a moment, and then realized  _what_  Alec was thinking. “Ruby.”  
                Alec was already blurring towards the car, ripping their scarce luggage (but large amounts of weaponry) out of the trunk, and starting to rip into the cushions—  
                “Just fucking torch the car!” Sam said, pulling off his shirt to pillow under Dean’s head.   
                As soon as he had, he blurred over and started digging through their clothes and bags. Alec went for his lighter, but, staring at the car for a moment, growled. “Fuck it!” He grabbed a P-90 from his bag (Sam was  _still_  wondering just  _where_  the hell Alec had gotten that), and waved Sam back. “This is going to be a  _big_  boom.” He looked positively ecstatic about it.  
                Sam was starting to move when suddenly the luggage wasn’t there anymore, and then _he_  was past the tree line, in a small clearing, with Dean curling in on himself still pillowed on the shirt, and Keegan out of breath, but back to checking over Dean.  
                “When Alec says ‘big boom’…he means big fucking boom.” She said, answering Sam’s unspoken question. “It’s why he was held back for more ‘disciplinary’ actions. He always used the equation ‘P equals plenty’ when it came to explosives.”  
                There was a loud rapport of gunfire, and suddenly Keegan wasn’t in the clearing, and then there was possibly the single largest explosion he had ever heard; louder than the grenades in the same house by  _far_ …louder than the motel back in California…  
                “Alec! Keegan!” He called, not wanting to run towards the heat and flames visible through the trees, but not wanting to leave them. A moment later, Keegan and Alec stepped out of the brush from behind him, Alec grinning like a mad man with soot streaked features, and Keegan looking more annoyed than usual. “Holy shit, Damnit, Alec, what the fuck did you do?”  
                “Wanted to make sure we got the fucking Hex bag, right? Added C-4 to the fuel tank before shooting it.” He smiled again. “And I saw the blue flames; they were in the back seat. We got it.”  
                “Got…what?” The dry, cracked, and generally weak voice was music to all of their ears…except for Alec’s which was blocked by a rather fuzzy, yet completely expected, buzzing noise. Dean was groggily trying to sit up, forcing himself up. “Why does it look like I missed the fun…?”  
                “You don’t need to worry about the car anymore.” Alec said, grinning wildly.   
                Dean gave him a groggy ‘what the fuck are you talking about’ face before just raising his eyebrows and shaking his head. “Ruby?” He rasped.  
                “Right in one.” Sam said, reaching out a hand to help him up.  
                Dean stood, looking as if the world was spinning for a moment, before getting himself centered. “Ok…I take it those flames I see are what’s left of the car. Which means we’re stranded, in the middle of nowhere, with a demon witch from hell on our tails, and almost no supplies.”  
                “We are X5s.” Keegan pointed out, running over and checking Dean’s eyes. He tolerated if for all of a second before waving her off. “Dude, Alec thought you were having a stroke. You were speaking broken French and your eyes were dilated despite the light.”  
                “I can’t have a stroke, I’m way too young.” The way Alec and Keegan both just gave him a look, he knew he had just said something that might have been true while he was human…  
                “Right and our brain chemistry is one hundred percent normal.” Alec quipped, rolling his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something else, when he shook his head, as if a bug or something had landed on his face. “I mean…seriously…” He did it again, this time adding a swipe with his hand. “…Manticore made a whole…lot of…” he actually _slapped_  himself, shaking his head, before his entire face dropped, and he paled again. Another wince and shake, and then another…  
                Tiny droplets of blood were forming on Alec’s skin, as if needles were being pushed into his face. Keegan immediately went to him, fingers running along the plains of his face, but Alec kept wincing, and pulling away. Dean stepped towards him, but Sam held him back, nodding towards their bags.  
                “Have him sit down!” Sam said, pulling out a shirt that could have been Dean’s or Alec’s, while Dean had pulled out a bra, and was giving it a rather amused look before Sam grabbed it and tossed it into the already checked pile. “Stop being pervy with your own sister! Hex bag!”  
                But, fifteen minutes later, all the bags had been gone through, and now Alec had lacerations across his face and chest, and though they were healing rapidly (the stem cells in their blood certainly helped), he was looking far too pale and was in noticeable pain.  
                “It’s not here!” Sam cried, feeling desperation. He glanced around the clearing, and  _that_ was what allowed him to notice Dean tensing...cocking his head as if he was listening…  
                Like he was hearing thoughts again…  
                And a second later, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he fought a  _very_ powerful urge to  _hiss-snarl-bite-defend_ , and the smell of a match book glanced across his tongue…  
                “Of course it’s not there, short bus.” And sashaying into the clearing was Ruby, all brown hair and biker clothes, and in her hand…  
                Dean snarled, a sound that made her back up. “Give me the Hex bag.”  
                However, Ruby smiled at him, tossing the bag into the air and catching it again. “You already got three, yep, three freebies from me. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t let this genetic freak die just to watch you suffer?”  
                Almost instantly, Sam was next to her, Dean stalking her from the front. Keegan was refusing to leave Alec’s side, instead making a low, menacing growl in the back of her throat. A small, analytical side of Sam’s brain piped up that  _there_  was another check in his theory’s column, but he couldn’t think about that.  
                “You don’t die slow and painful.” Dean growled.  
                “If I just curse you all, I don’t die at all.” Ruby countered.  
                “No, you’re going to die. That is  _dead_  certain.” Dean leaned closer, and Sam wondered how the hell he was doing it. Every instinct was pushing him to run, to flee, to get away. Ruby, to her credit, didn’t back down.  
                “You can’t kill me. Sammy here doesn’t have the juice. Hell will just spit me back out, and your weapons won’t do any more then kill my meat suit.” She even seemed cocky. But Dean cocked an eyebrow, and Ruby raised hers, finally turning.  
                Directly behind her was Alec, bloody, panting with effort, but eyes glowing with a rage and hatred that sent chills down Sam’s spine. “I think I’ll take your bet.” He hissed, and struck, blurring with the knife he had in one hand, and going  _through_  her weak attempt at a block.  
                She screamed, and it took Sam a moment to realize why; two of her fingers were on the ground, alongside the Hex Bag which Keegan grabbed. It burst into blue flames a moment later.  
                Ruby started to back up, but her back hit Dean’s chest, and she spun, cradling her wounded hand against her chest, trying to keep her eyes on all of her threats. And Sam saw the very moment in her eyes when she realized ( _glancing left-Sam hulking in her way, his eyes starting to go black_ ), that she truly ( _right was Keegan, but then the Fae wasn’t-and she was again, a green fire spreading over her hands_ ), had no place ( _Alec, behind her, still holding the bloody knife, eyes feral and looking more like a wounded animal_ ), left to ( _Dean, Dean right in front of her, very carefully pulling the **knife-she-gave-them**  into plain view_…)  
                …run.

  
**BASE OF OPERATIONS**   
**OCTOBER 4th 2021**   
  
_We now have at least twenty of these so-called Special Children. The Conclave feels it is time to enter the ones of Breeding Age into the program._

                Rose was so afraid. She felt bad, but she wanted to talk to someone… _anyone_. Padding over to her cell door, she peered through the bars, looking for the woman across from her; Ophelia had it been? “Ophelia!” She hissed.  
                She had to repeat it twice more before the brown eyes she saw on her first day appeared again…but they looked different…wilder. “That’s  _not_  my name.” Rose cocked her head to the side, but realized the movement was probably not seen. The other woman sighed. “My name is Tanya. C.J. just likes naming everyone. But, he’s crazy, so don’t listen to him.”  
                “Tanya…I’m-” She jumped back as a flash of lightning jumped in Tanya’s cell, and Tanya made a pained noise, looking embarrassed.  
                “I’m sorry! I’ve…got it mostly under control…” Her eyes disappeared and Rose found herself struggling to keep her in view.  
                “Wait! C.J. also said you were a new girl!”  
                Tanya’s eyes didn’t reappear, but her voice floated back to Rose. “I am.” She sounded sad, horrified, upset and worried.  
                Sadly, Rose knew she wasn’t going to be getting someone to talk to…and she pouted. But, the more mature and psychic side of her knew that, if she waited, she’d possibly have an ally…a  _powerful_  ally.  
 **  
SECTOR 7  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 4th 2021**  
  
                “Seriously?” Max wanted to punch something, more specifically, some _one_ , really badly.  
                Her last encounter with the Winchesters had been…eye opening, to say the least; but still best left forgotten. Mia hadn’t let that be the case. She had pestered, questioned, somehow driving the entire way and getting them home far quicker than they had gotten  _to_  White Sands  _and_  getting information out of Max like she was some civilian.  
                And there was, horrifyingly, the girly gossip thrown in there, like Max had  _wanted_  to gush about some of the best sex she had ever had. But, in the end, her head followed the same path: It wasn’t Logan. True, the oh-my-god-it’s-like-fucking-my-brother-Ben was missing, and she certainly couldn’t ever confuse Dean for Alec, which was odd, as Ben and Alec were identical. And lo, she figured she just realized her stupidity. Never once did she think it was the smiling, yet sad, X4 next to her.  
                Still grumpy from her traveling psych evaluation, she had dropped by Logan’s for a virus update when she was dumped with Ames White’s right hand man sitting in the living room, chatting amicably with Joshua and Logan.  
                Truth be told, Otto Gottlieb hadn’t really done anything to her. He followed his superior officer; he was a good soldier. He being here should have sent different types of warning bells, but what went off was her desire to punch a certain X5-112 in the face…or finding the nearest enemy to do it to in his place.   
                Joshua was the one to stop her by leaping in front of the man and taking a punch that probably would have broken Otto’s jaw. Max had been so stunned that she snapped out of her fog (or, more accurately, Mia helped her snap out of her fog) and apologized.  
                Joshua, as always, had forgiven her on the spot, saying , “Little Fella didn’t expect to see Otto-Once Enemy, Now Friend here. Still thought he was Enemy…with White. You want to protect me and Logan, and all of us. I’m ok.”  
                And then Logan had proceeded to fill her in on what had transpired; Otto had showed up wanting to talk to Eyes Only. He had seen White go far off the reservation and didn’t know just how high up White had people. He told her how, after a day sitting around with Joshua as his guard, the dog-boy had taken an instant liking to the NSA Agent, and how Otto apparently had an artistic side, and the two had bonded over acrylics and brushes. After two days of seeing the Otto Gottlieb White never saw nor cared to know, it had been a unanimous decision to lighten the guard, and make him more of a guest…precautions always in place of course. Until Max gave the all clear. Which brought Max back to her earlier, “Seriously?”  
                “I’m very serious.” Otto said, looking up at her, almost hopefully. “I saw Ames White kidnap a girl off the streets with some of that ‘squad’ he had…I saw one of those men get kicked in the  _balls_  and not flinch. They certainly aren’t our guys. I double checked, too. CIA, FBI…the girl’s clean. This wasn’t some government order; it was a kidnapping. Her name is Rosie Holt. Her parents are scared to death for their daughter. And I can’t help them  _because I don’t know how high this goes_.”  
                Logan looked at her, and Josh was giving her puppy eyes, and Max could even see Mole looking sympathetic for the Ordinary…  
                “Ok. You tell us everything you know, everything you can. Now’s not the time for national security, we need to find this girl, and anyone else he’s captured. Logan can help too, because he’ll relay this to Eyes Only, and try to figure out what we can do to help you in the government area.”  
                “Actually, I might be able to help with that too.” Max spun, and was surprised to see Lydecker standing in the doorway, (Ellen standing just behind him, arms crossed and looking  _very_  annoyed), waving a hand to Otto, who looked not as surprised to see him. “Hope I didn’t give you too much trouble when I was working against White before.”  
                “Apparently not enough, Sir, considering what I found he’s been up too.” Otto looked closer at Lydecker, frowning. “Don, White told me you were dead. They found your car in the river.”  
                “Yeah, well, White lies, everyone knows that.” Max snapped, not too happy with  _this_  turn either. “Ok, I need a shower, Mia you wanna take one and then head back over here, help out with detail finding?”   
                Mia beamed at her. “That sounds super fun!”   
                Max could have sworn the sides of Otto’s mouth quirked up, but the man managed to keep the perfect, blank secret agent face in place. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy…  
  
 **ROUTE 25**  
 **COLORADO**  
 **OCTOBER 4th, 2021**  
  
                “I’m not going to tell you anything!” Ruby had managed to scream her throat raw; Dean could smell the blood mixed with her sulfuric scent.  
                Sam had the brilliant idea to tie Ruby up with the rope they had taken from the ghost on Alec’s first hunt. It responded to his psychic abilities wonderfully, and kept Ruby trapped in her meat suit, tied to a thick tree. Combined with the devil’s trap below her, effectively cutting off her powers, and Dean’s only current headache was keeping Alec at bay long enough to get some answers from the slimy demon bitch.  
                Dean leaned in, face inches from Ruby’s. “Really? Because you only get one chance for the quick and painless route.” He smiled, pushing every hateful thing she did into it. It certainly looked more enthusiastic then he felt.  
                He felt Alec shift his weight, looking from Ruby to Dean most definitely sensing his emotions, but there wasn’t much he could do now. Yes, both Alec and Sam (even Keegan) deserved a chance at payback for everything Ruby did…but torture? He’d been broken once doing that. He’d never let his family take that risk. Even though Alec looked like he was more than capable of handling it, even  _itching_  for it. It was times like these that Dean was glad he never ‘grew up’ at Manticore; he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to know exactly  _what_  they trained Alec to do.  
                “You really think I’ll tell you anything just because you—arhhh!” She screamed, wincing away from the knife wound Dean had drawn casually against her exposed stomach. Keegan winced from her perch on a nearby tree stump, and looked away.  
                “You know, Ruby, your knife isn’t the only thing you’ve got to fear around here…” Sam said, stepping up next to Dean. “You already know what I can do…and you know who trained Dean. But we’ve got Alec, too, who has just as much demon blood as Dean or I, and if we could hurt you as if you were human…so can he. Three to one odds aren’t very good.”  
                Alec made a hissing noise. “I’m just waiting for Dad to get bored. Then we can see how loud she really screams.” A fresh wave of  _fear_  rolled off Ruby, and Dean felt the feline part of him react with almost a bloodlust. If it had been just him and Sam, back when they were human, she wouldn’t have been nearly as afraid. But she  _knew_  that, somehow, Man had managed to create something that was nearly a worthy opponent to a demon.   
                And she was stuck in the middle of a  _very_  pissed off pack of them.  
                Just to make sure she didn’t start thinking her fear was misplaced, Dean used her focus on Alec as the perfect distraction. He pressed the edge of her knife into her mutilated left hand. Her scream was devastatingly loud to his enhanced hearing.  
 _-going rather easy on her._  Slipped through his shields, and Dean couldn’t help but glance up at Alec. Alec’s eyes never left Ruby, though, like a panther stalking its prey.  
                In that moment, glancing at Sam and finding an eerily similar expression, he knew he had to end this quickly. He knew hate. He knew what it was like to want to kill something, make it suffer…and look what it had brought to their dad, to them. The damage that was done was on the inside…not worth it. He had to make them remember they were human. He had to get Ruby talking.  
                Another quick slice (this time across the sensitive flesh of her thigh), and Dean made sure she was  _only_  looking at him. “Last chance.”  
                For a moment, she just stared at him, looking scared, lost, hopeless. And then something broke in her. “I just wanted to help you!”  
                “Bull fucking shit.” Keegan muttered, and Dean glanced back at her to find her pacing the edge of the clearing, much further away than before, looking extremely uncomfortable. Dean glanced at Alec, who wore a similar expression of ‘bull shit’.  
                “Nice try,” Dean said, leaning in close, and pressing the edge of the knife a hair’s breath away from her eye, “but Alec thinks you’re lying. And Alec isn’t wrong about those things.”  
                “What are you, psychic? Don’t try to bluff me, short bus!”  
                “Yeah, it’s bull shit. She knows you’re telepathic too.” Alec bared his teeth, taking a step forward. “Bored yet?”   
                Ruby flinched, pulling herself away from the knife, and Alec, but Dean grabbed her chin, forcing her still. “You better tell me the truth, about  _why_  you wanted to help us.”  
                “Sam was supposed to lead the big demon army and break Lucifer out of Hell-”  
                “By killing Lilith, yes, yes, we know this.” Sam said, stepping up. Dean shot him a look, and he stepped back again.   
                Ruby still looked terrified. “Sam would have become the new Angel of Death!” Dean raised his eyebrows, and glanced at Sam, who had lost some of the feral-ness in his eyes, and was racking his brains for references to what she had mentioned.  
                “Not a real angel, Dean.” He said at last, “But, like, the head Demon of Death….” His eyes widened. “Lucifer’s General.”  
                “Let me guess, after Sam unwittingly freed Lucifer, you were going to kill him and claim all the credit.” Dean shook his head, chuckling. “God, Ruby…do you even  _try_  to come up with good plans? Ones that  _don’t_  have a fifty percent chance at failure if, and I strongly say if, everything worked the way you think it does in your own little world?” He chuckled again. “Where’s White.”  
                “Wyoming!” She yelped.  
                Sam, Dean and Alec exchanged looks. “Convenient. What else did he have you do for him?” Dean grumbled, pressing the knife edge against her arm, making her bleed. Just a little.  
                “Nothing!”   
                Dean was about to let it go when Alec put a hand on his shoulder, peering at Ruby. “She’s lying.” He growled.  
                “Let me  _rephrase_ ,” Dean said, dragging the knife (a long, deep slice up that same arm), as he stepped around her. “What else did you give him?”  
                Ruby was sobbing now. A broken thing, no longer a threat. It didn’t mean they wouldn’t be weary of her still. “Special Children.”  
                “You gave the Cult access to the Special Children?!” Sam’s feral rage was back, but it was completely warranted in Dean’s book. That was a sore subject; the kids were already victims of circumstance, and being subjected to the Breeding Cult was just insult to injury.  
                “Anything else we should know about?” Dean asked, holding a hand up to prevent any more interruptions from Sam. Ruby seemed to understand the underlying threat to those words, because immediately she began pleading, begging and cursing. “Didn’t think so.”  
                “I wish we had the Colt.” Sam muttered.  
                “Do you think snapping her neck will work?” Alec suggested, looking far too eager to try it anyway. Dean shook his head, before nodding to Sam.  
                Sam’s eyes went black, and Ruby went shock still against the tree. Her chest seemed to beat frantically with her panicked breathing. Alec immediately stepped up to her and yanked her head back, exposing her throat, hissing, “It’s a helluva lot more then you deserve.”  
                “Please, please!” She whispered frantically, eyes on Dean and the knife, but unable to move.   
                Dean just shook his head. “Goodbye, Ruby.” And in one quick, almost anticlimactic motion, Dean slashed her throat.  
                It took less than a minute for the last flickers of demon lightening to go out, and then Keegan was there, green flames consuming the corpse (yet leaving the tree). They stood there for a long moment, just watching the fire consume what was left of the demon that had haunted their lives, ripped them apart from the inside, and driven the two closest brothers apart.  
                Nothing could ever truly punish her for every evil thing she did to them, and Dean knew this. He knew trying would have only turned them into something like her…something dark, twisted, evil. They already had enough to deal with.  
                “Come on, guys. Leave her for the animals.” Dean said, sighing.  
                “I don’t think they’ll touch it.” Alec said kicking one of the fingers he had severed earlier. It rolled awkwardly towards the burning body. Not even ants had started to crawl on it.  
                “How far did you manage to get, Keegan?” Sam asked, heading over to their packs, and shaking off bugs and leaves of their scattered clothing. Keegan, however, didn’t answer right away. “Keegan?”  
                Keegan started out of her thoughts, looking dazed. “Uh, sorry. Maybe twenty clicks? There are signs for a town about ten miles from here…but I didn’t see it. Could be pre-Pulse and dead, or I just ‘ported too far in one direction or another.”  
                “Well, let’s get a move on. We still need to make it to Wyoming…and I’d prefer to find a car rather than walk the entire way.” Dean said shouldering the duffle that Sam handed him. He turned back to Alec, only to find that his clone had wandered over to Keegan, and was apparently in some sort of wordless conversation with her.   
                Or, at least, attempting the conversation. She was keeping her eyes downcast, and resisting his efforts to raise her chin to look up at him. “Keely, what's wrong?” Alec looked genuinely worried. Dean was about to open his mouth (they were having a  _chick flick moment_  for Christ’s sake), but Sam just grabbed his shoulder, grinning at him.  
                “Let them be. Keegan…doesn’t like torture.” And he shrugged, turning away. Dean  _really_ wanted more of an answer then that, but Sam wasn’t going to tell him (Keegan would probably rip his balls off for asking), and his telepathy was already gone, as they had already killed the biggest (or more accurately, most current) threat.  
                Dean frowned. No one told him anything. “So, we moving on? North it is, I wanna make it to that town by night fall, and we’re losing daylight.”  
                Ten minutes later, the Winchester Clan was hiking down the road, chatting amicably, and generally just enjoying the small taste of freedom they had been granted. It was bound to be short lived after all.


	17. Chapter 17

**SPRINGFIELD  
COLORADO  
OCTOBER 5th 2021**  
  
                Alec had been hyper aware of Keegan since they left Ruby’s ashes still smoldering back in the clearing by the highway. Every movement she made, he noticed, wither it was just the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, or the blinks she occasionally gave while reading, even the way the wind caught her scent—  
                Her scent.  
                He  _knew_  that scent. In fact, they had just gotten  _past_  the time when that scent should have come up. As in, four days past.  
                And apparently, no one else had noticed. Alec immediately was grateful for the rather large apartment they had been able to squat in when they found the greatly diminished city of Springfield. Rather than attempt to use their limited funds on a hotel (there was surprisingly one still in operation), they had moved to the abandoned section of the city, and found a suitable place.  
                They had electricity and  _running water_  of all things. An hour of scrounging for usable furniture (and putting up some doors, the only lacking accommodation) and they had a decent place to stay…if they had wanted to stay for longer then it took to steal a car and get out of town. Dean had pointed out it would also be prudent to try to get supplies, as they seemed to be passing larger and larger stretches of nothing.  _That_  was going to take some time.  
                And that was where Sam and Dean currently were, out and about exploring the ruined buildings left abandoned to time and nature. Alec had heard Sam tell Dean it was to give him and Keegan a chance to talk.  
                Talking was the furthest thing from Alec’s mind right now.  
                He watched Keegan stretch and almost surged off the couch, until he mentally slapped himself. There was  _no way_  she could be…in…  
                Shit.  
                Half-forgotten tales and rumors surged forward in his mind, and Alec nearly crumpled under the weight of them. “Uh…Keegan?” She looked up, her yellow eyes focusing on his. “Can we talk?”  
                “Sure.” She stood, and Alec forced himself to look away. “You’re not being your usual tomcat self, Alec, luv. What’s wrong?”   
                He couldn’t look away anymore when she reached out and grasped his cheek. “How much do you remember of Manticore’s breeding theories?” He asked, still not looking directly at her. He was attempting to breathe through his mouth, however, that seemed to make her scent stronger, and it was  _really not helping_.  
                “That has got to be the worst ‘come jump me’ line ever.” She said, sounding vaguely miffed. She gently punched his shoulder. “Unless you’re serious.”  
                “As a heart attack.” She studied him a moment, and he was  _very_  glad she had taught him how to shield; he couldn’t imagine her reaction if she felt the emotions raging behind his barriers. She’d either jump him or hit him…and while the jumping part was  _really_ tempting…  _Stop thinking about that right now!_  He gave himself another mental shake, and looked up at Keegan, who had started to sweat a little.  
                “Are you talking about the…” She trailed off, wiping a bead of sweat off her brow, and then, after glancing at Alec and realizing he wasn’t sweating, apparently put two and two together. “No, no, no. I just got over my heat.”  
                “But what happens when you add a  _mate_  to the equation?” He couldn’t help it, he was leaning in now. It was starting to make sense, so much sense. And the need to protect, to claim, to love his  _mate_  was so strong…  
                “Manticore said it couldn’t happen…” She was leaning in to him too, and he finally looked into her eyes, and gave her a smile.  
                “I think it explains why you make me so crazy…you drag the panther in me to defend his mate, to take what's his, and stupid me has been so  _afraid_  to…” He nuzzled her neck, pulling her closer to him. Vaguely, he remembered that Sam and Dean could be home at any time, but it didn’t really matter…  
                Because she was kissing him, and it completely drove any human rational out of his mind.  
 **  
SECTOR 9  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 5th 2021**  
  
 _Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom bulletin._  
                Original Cindy nearly rushed into the lounge of Jam Pony, looking up at the television Normal left up in the corner despite constant complaints about his employees watching it rather than working.  
                She knew it was a cover; Normal was as much of a part of the Transgenic movement as she was, only he kept his involvement hidden. His gripes about the tv were mostly to cover the fact he left it there to stay informed through Eyes Only; one of the ways Max and his Golden Boy had told him they would contact him.  
                Therefore, Cindy wasn’t the least bit surprised when she saw Normal come up and stand next to her, Sketchy taking her other side. “ _and it is the only free voice left in the city. The Eyes Only informant net has been delivered firsthand information that suggests that the United States Government, specifically one Ames White, NSA agent, is a servant of two masters. Ames White, as well as many other officials in strategic places in our own government are part of a Cult dedicated to overthrowing the life and freedoms we are fighting to regain. And this is all people, every citizen of the United States--_ ”  
                “Oh, hell.” Normal muttered, covering his mouth with one hand. Cindy gave him a look, raising one eyebrow. “What?”  
                “Whateva. Normal, you just weird.” Normal gave her a look, and then clapped his hands loudly, startling several messengers standing by them.  
                “Come on people! Time is money! These packages are missing their people! Bip, bip, bip!”  
                “What were you doggin’ on Normal for?” Sketchy asked, leaning in conspiratorial.   
                OC rolled her eyes, gesturing towards the TV, which was now playing some music video. “He gets all excited over Eyes Only, and  _then_  can’t take what da man says. They’re goin’ public…that’s gotta mean they got major evidence.”  
                “Not according to Jo.” Sketchy said, shaking his head. “They’re doing this as a favor to the NSA. Oh, speaking of, can you cover for me this afternoon?”  
                Original Cindy took a step back, holding up one hand. “Now hold up, why would I be-” She stopped, looking down at the little black box that Sketchy was holding in his hand, looking very nervous.  
                “I kinda wanted to do it tonight.” He looked like he was on top of the world…and it would only take one word to shove him spiraling down.   
                OC looked from the box up to Sketchy, and then pursed her lips. “Boo, you are whipped. And screwed too. Original Cindy’s got you tonight, but no gettin’ me to help you plan for this horrible lose to heterosexuality, aiite?” Sketchy nodded, looking exceedingly happy, and then just hugged her.  
                “Hey, bip means bip people!”  
 **  
SPRINGFIELD  
COLORADO  
OCTOBER 5Th 2021**  
  
                Dean was getting annoyed. In fact, he was getting  _very_  annoyed. Sam had dragged him out of their temporary home with cryptic, teasing phrases and promises to explain, but so far, all they had really gotten was that Sam was pleased with how sunny it was.  
                “Damnit, Sam, just fucking tell me why you are dragging me around a bunch of abandoned buildings that probably have nothing we can use!” He paused, “Better yet, tell me why you keep saying we need to give Keegan and Alec time ‘to themselves’,” he mocked, lip curling a little. “You’re playing pimp to our sister, you know.”  
                “And you’re cock blocking yourself, in a manner of speaking; something you asked  _me_ not to do. The whole world is topsy-turvy.” And if Sam was cracking jokes back at him, this was serious. Waiting until Sam had turned back to ‘scavenging’, Dean blurred forward and tackled his little brother. Sam gave a yelp, but rolled with it, and the two wrestled for a long moment, before Sam found himself with his face in the dirt, and Dean sitting on him.  
                “Feel like talking now, Sammy?” Dean gloated, picking at his teeth as if the fight had been nothing. He totally felt Sam deserved a little extra humiliation. Sam huffed in an indignant sort of way, before going limp, in a very obvious sign of defeat. He mumbled something, and Dean leaned down, “Sorry, didn’t quite catch that.”  
                “I said, fine. I’ll tell you.” Dean smiled, gave Sam a rather hard slap on the ass, and jumped up before Sam could return the swing. “That hurt.”  
                “Bitch. Spill.”  
                “I don’t think Keegan’s out of heat yet.” Dean stared at him a moment, before chuckling and digging a finger in his ear.  
                “I’m sorry, I thought you just said that you wanted to leave Alec  _alone_  with our  _sister_ who may still be in heat.” Sam nodding was not making his head hurt less. “Damnit, Sam! I’m heading back to the apartment-”  
                “Aren’t you curious why it would be continuing? Because it’s the reason behind everything. And it may affect us, eventually, too.” Dean stopped in his tracks…because like it or not, Sam’s words definitely were making sense. A little.  
                “Then get to explaining before I have to go castrate my clone.” He growled, tapping his foot against the pavement. Sam heaved a great sigh, and looked up, as if asking for patience. Yeah, Dean wanted some too, but he wanted answers more. He impatiently cleared his throat.   
                Sam gave him a look. “I told you I thought they were mates.”  
                “Yeah.”  
                “Well, that’s only part of the equation. Most cats don’t mate for life…but X5s…Well, they’re not just feline, right? There’s canine and avian, and shark…My point is, no one knows because Manticore didn’t exactly wait to see what would happen if two of their soldiers got too close. But they  _did_  notice that some females had more heat cycles after being paired up with certain breeding partners…specifically ones that were more genetically compatible with them…” Sam trailed off, making that damned ‘put it together, Dean’ face of his.  
                “Oh fuck no.” Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not only do we have a possible ‘mate’ thing going on, but it might mean more fucking heats? What am I supposed to do? Just let them  _breed_?” When Sam shrugged, Dean  _really_  wanted to punch something. “Great…just great.”  
                “You probably won’t be complaining if and when it happens with you.” Sam raised his eye brows, smirking a little, “I mean, you  _did_  say that Max was-”  
                “Don’t even go there, Sammy. One word: Madison.” Sam shut up. After a long moment, Dean sighed, and looked back up at Sam. “Ok, so we give them a few hours to themselves…let’s go find a bar and hustle ourselves some pool, eh?” Sam gave him a suspicious look, which Dean just let roll off him. “Hey, I don’t like this…but I also don’t see any way of fighting it without hurting either of our sibs. Manticore just loves fucking us over  _well_  after the fact, don’t they?”  
                Sam laughed. “You’ve got that right.”  
 **  
TERMINAL CITY  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 6th 2021**  
  
                “Max!” Max groaned to herself, but turned away from the monitor to face the latest interruption. However, whenever Ellen Harvelle made an interruption, there was usually coffee and good whiskey involved, so Max couldn’t be too upset….  
                …Until she saw who was standing just behind Ellen. “Ok, what do you guys want?”  
                “Now, Max, that’s no way to greet two people with a business proposition.” Ellen chided, placing a full mug of coffee (almost a soup bowl, really), on the desk next to Max, “Especially when it might end up being lucrative.”  
 _That_  caught Max’s attention, and she glanced at Lydecker (still standing behind Ellen, letting the older woman speak for him) before taking a sip of the coffee. And  _damn_ , it had to be pre-Pulse at that. “Now you’ve got my attention.”  
                “See, now, Don? All you need to do is phrase it right.” Ellen said, turning to face Lydecker. Lydecker, however, still looked distinctly uncomfortable. Max just raised her eyebrows. “Now, don’t get shy on me.”  
                “Yeah, now I’m all curious.” Max purred from behind her mug.  
                Lydecker sighed, and looked down, away, anywhere but at Max. “I talked to some of my contacts when we were tracking down possible help from inside the government…And they agreed to help, if I agreed to run an idea by you.” He took a deep breath. “Have you ever heard of the Phoenix Project?”  
                She did her best to sound bored. It helped when Alec had briefed her on it. “Yeah, it was the umbrella project that the X5Rs were a part of, key assassinations meant to help bring the USA back to being a super power. So?”  
                Lydecker sighed again. “They want to start again. New Manticore, in Quantico, Virginia. Paid work, instead of bred into service. Give you a chance to do what you were designed to, when you wanted to, with small contracts and damn good pay.” He rubbed at his jaw with one hand. “It sounds-”  
                “Too good to be true? Yeah, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.” She found herself gripping the coffee mug as if it was a safety line.  
                Lydecker stepped forward and handed a slip of paper to her. “Here’s the info they gave me for a mission they’re considering. They requested X5s, they’re most successful series in looking normal, and…” He paused, looking to Ellen.  
                “And it would be great,  _good_  publicity for the Transgenic Nation. Defending the country…doing what you were designed to do…proving your worth in a public forum, letting them see you for what you are.” Ellen gave her a smile. “Just think about it, Max. Maybe pass it along to a few X5s you can trust.” And with that, Ellen patted her on the shoulder, and gently steered Lydecker out of the control room.  
                Max sat there, for a long moment, scanning the paper with her eyes, and sipping the damn good coffee from Ellen’s pet diner. And thought.  
  
 **SPRINGFIELD**  
 **COLORADO**  
 **OCTOBER 6th 2021**  
  
                “Yo! You two better have clothes ON!” Dean yelled, knocking on the door to their apartment before pushing it open, Sam just behind him. He half expected to walk into some rather graphic display of genetically enhanced breeding…but instead, found Alec and Keegan curled up on the couch (granted, Alec was shirtless, and Keegan was apparently wearing said shirt, which was big enough to be a dress on her small frame), watching a small screen tv that was more static then picture. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Go shopping without us?”  
                “It got a little boring.” Alec said, rolling his eyes, and tugging Keegan closer.   
                Dean raised his eyebrows, and shot a look at Sam, who looked rather surprised. “Oh, man. I am  _not_  touching that with a ten foot pole.” Dean didn’t miss Alec and Keegan share a look, but it was something he couldn’t understand. “So, is this extra heat thing out of your guys system for now?”  
 _That_  caught their attention, and both turned to look at him, surprised. “What?”  
                “Dean!”   
                “Nice way to break it down.” Sam muttered, pushing past Dean to get towards the bedroom. “Just keep it down, you guys. We staked out a car that should get us to Wyoming, and even got some funds.”   
                Dean grinned at that, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. “People here just don’t know how to play pool.” He said, running his thumb over the bills.  
                “And you didn’t invite me?” Alec asked, looking a little put out.   
                Keegan shot him a look. “I’m sorry, would you have rather been playing pool?” she asked, a little icily. Alec froze for a second, before shaking his head, and pulling her closer.   
                If he kept doing that, they’d be on top of each other again, and Dean didn’t want to be there for that performance. “Now, now, lovebirds, play nice.” He warned, wagging a finger at them, and shoving the cash back into his pocket. “I want to head out in the morning, grab supplies, grab the car, and get the hell out of Dodge.”  
                “Yes sir.” Sounded from both Alec and Keegan, a little mocking, but Dean could live with that.  
                “Yeah, well, I’m turning in. You better not wake me up.” He walked past the couch, making sure to ruffle Alec’s hair (which was already mussed up), even more. Alec’s sputter and frantic attempts to fix his hair greatly amused Dean on his way into the room.  
                “They turning in?”   
                Dean looked up at Sam, who was halfway through undressing for bed, and shrugged. “No idea. They still seem…at each other’s throats, don’t they.” Dean shrugged to himself, and pulled his shirt off, balling it up and tossing it into his duffle.  
                “I don’t have all the answers…”  
                “What the hell are you good for, then?” Dean joked, throwing a sock at Sam, who dodged it, looking vaguely disgusted. “I mean, aside from having such girly senses.”  
                “Dean, go to bed.”  
                There was a thump from the living room and Dean shook his head. “Got any head phones?”  
                “Good night, Dean.”

***

  
                Dean woke up.  
                He wasn’t sure why, one moment he was having a lovely dream about Angelina Jolie doing some  _very_  naughty things to him, and the next he was awake, head cocked to the side.  
                Oh. Listening.  
                Sometimes he hated that his body reacted before his head had time to figure it out. Glancing over at Sam (who apparently had woken as well), he gestured very quickly--:: _hear that?_ ::  
                Sam nodded in response, and carefully untangled himself from the bed clothes. Dean was right behind him. They both eased the door to their small room open…and the sound increased. It sounded like the room was fucking  _vibrating_.  
                After a moment of looking around the cramped living-room-turned-bed-room, Dean almost wished he hadn’t found the source of the noise. Cuddled up so tight it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended, was Alec and Keegan.   
                That in itself was amusing (as much as Dean hated to admit it, part of him was screaming  _Fucking finally!_  while another wanted to kill Alec and/or Keegan for messing with his sister and/or brother), but not nearly so much as the fact that apparently  _they_ were the source of the noise.  
                The files at Manticore had been very specific that every soldier had a different amount of feline DNA added, with the exception of twins. Dean always knew Alec had a hell of a lot more black panther then he did himself.  
                But the fact it made him  _purr_.   
                And that was what the noise was…Dean was strongly reminded of the one magic show they had caught while working the case where all the magicians ended up dead. There had been a  _huge_  trained tiger, and somehow, it had ended up by his seat. Sam had teased him about it the rest of the hunt, especially when the tiger apparently got bored of staring Dean down, and decided his foot would make a lovely pillow…and then proceeded to purr louder than a fucking jet engine.  
                If purring was proportional to body size, it was no wonder the 6’ Alec, and the 5’3’’ Keegan were making such a noise. The funniest part: it didn’t even sound remotely human. And they were fast asleep.  
                Sam chose that moment to blearily ask, “Dude…are they purring?”  
                Dean couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah…holy shit, get the tape recorder.”  
  
 **ROUTE 25**  
 **COLORADO**  
 **OCTOBER 7th 2021**  
  
                Dean loved driving, he really did. But this sedan made him feel like a  _dad_ , (and brought up guilty flashes of the kid that he still  _coulda swore_  was his).  
                And there was that annoying  _buzzing_  again.  
                “Alec! Answer your damn phone!” He snapped, glancing into the rearview mirror (which was cracked) and glaring at the couple reflected there.  
                Alec started out of whatever world he was currently occupied, and grabbed for his phone, managing to unseat Keegan as well. “Who the fuck would be calling me?”  
                “Maybe the Mafia decided they want your-”  
                “It’s Max.” Dean nearly ran them off the road, causing Sam to yelp and grab the ‘oh shit’ handles. “Holy shit, Dad! Watch the fucking road!”  
                “What does she want?” Dean asked, trying to sound casual while fighting Sam for control of the wheel.   
                Sam was winning, which was never a good sign. “Just get in the passenger seat, Jerk, since obviously you’re too distracted to drive!”  
                “Yo.” Alec said into the phone, ignoring the front seat scuffle.   
                Dean tried to eaves drop, but it only lost him ground in the long run, when Sam managed to manhandle him into the passenger seat. “What?”  
                “You’re whining, dude.” Sam said, elbowing him. Alec waved a hand at them, obviously trying to shut them up.  
                After a long moment, where Alec said practically nothing, Dean started getting antsy again, this time getting smacked in the back of the head by Keegan. “Ow!”  
                “Uh…thanks…yeah, I’ll be in touch on that…yeah.” And Alec clicked the cell phone shut. “Well, Lydecker apparently is helping out taking down White in the government’s eye…but not without them extending some feelers out towards the transgenics. They want us to help out at Quantico.”  
                “Ah.” Dean said, glancing at Sam (who was determinedly watching the road), before looking back at Alec, “So nothing-”  
                “I think she’d mention if you knocked her up.” Alec quipped, rolling his eyes. “For now, I think we should just keep moving towards Wyoming.” He paused, making a face. “You know…I honestly never thought I’d be heading back there.”  
                Keegan laid a hand on his shoulder, and he shoved the cell phone back into his jacket, using his now free hand to cover hers. “What’s the verdict on Quantico?”  
                Alec shrugged. “We should probably save the world from this demon plague  _before_ trying to help the country that hates us.”  
                “Here, here.” Dean said, punching the seat, and turning himself back around. “Ok, Sam, I can drive now.”  
                “And have another freak out when the phone rings again?” Sam chuckled. “No way. Besides,” He held up a CD, popping it into the ancient sound system in the sedan, “Driver picks the music.”  
                Dean’s face fell. “Oh hell.”  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **OCTOBER 8th 2021**  
  
 _A car was reported stolen from Springfield, Colorado. Upon closer examination of the surrounding areas, there is evidence of transgenics, specifically the rogue group that runs outside of Terminal City, in the area. This is concurrent with several other reports in that area of rogue transgenics…sending a team to eliminate the freaks._

  
**NSA HEADQUARTERS**  
 **OCTOBER 8th, 2021**  
  
                “Sir, have you seen the latest Eyes Only broadcast?”  
                Agent in charge Grant Forman winced from his seat, but nodded at the cookie cutter agent in front of him. “Of course.”  
                “And what do you plan to do about it, sir? Washington has been calling all day!” Forman was a cautious man. He had flagged Special Agent White on numerous occasions, even called in Agent Gottlieb for further details on cases…  
                “We’re going to let this play out.”  
                “Sir?”  
                Forman had assigned Gottlieb to White for one reason: Gottlieb was a dedicated American. And, with Gottlieb now MIA, and Eyes Only broadcasting about Ames White being a double agent…there was only one thing that could have happened. Part of him was saddened by the fact that Otto had not come to him…but it had made him check into some things.  
                White had connections as far up as the Senate. Otto was playing it safe by taking it outside the Government. Forman personally thought it might be time for a rise for his new, if MIA, star agent.  
                “If what Eyes Only says is true, and we should always operate under the assumption that all rumors have a basis in truth, then this could go  _very_  high. Let’s see what Washington orders us to do.”  
                “Very good, sir.”  
                It was like playing chicken with a starving tiger.  
  
 **10 MILES OUTSIDE DENVER**  
 **ROUTE 25**  
 **COLORADO**  
 **OCTOBER 9th 2021**  
  
                Pit stops were never one of Dean’s favorite things, but spending a whole day in a car that was not his Baby was another of Dean’s least favorite things…and by comparison, the pit stop was the lesser of two evils. Especially when it came with running water, vending machines, and a break from the two hormonally enraged lovebirds in the backseat.  
                “Damn, candy never tasted so good.” He said, munching on a Snickers bar that had probably been in that machine since the Pulse. Sam, however, was ignoring him, nose in the air,  _sniffing_. “Damnit, Sammy, you do realize that you’re  _feline_  not  _canine_ , right?”  
                “We’re not the only ones here.”  
                Dean stopped mid chew, and stared at Sam. “Excuse me?”  
                A moment later, he and Sam dropped to a crouch, as they heard footsteps. Keegan appeared in the doorway to the rest stop, Alec just beside her, gun drawn, and covering her back. Glancing over his shoulder, Alec used his free hand to signal that they had heard someone.  
                Dean gestured for them to fall back, and they all came together, putting their backs to the wall, Keegan and Alec dropping to their knees, guns aimed at the door, while Sam and Dean stood behind them in similar fashion.  
                It was a very long, tense moment before the first shadow whispered past the door.  
                “They’re transgenic.” Sam said, inhaling. “Feline…probably X5-”  
                “Alec? That you?”   
                Alec’s expression immediately cleared, and he nearly jumped out of position with his gun at the ready and moved towards the door. “Biggs?” Hesitantly, a dark haired, tan skinned male stuck his head around the corner, keeping his hands visible. “Oh man, Biggs!”   
                The other man rushed forward and actually hugged Alec, slapping him on the back. “Damn, Alec! What the hell are you doin’ here?”   
                “Ah, well, you know—“  
                “Hey, Alec…” Alec turned, looking at Dean as if he just realized he was there. “…You know this guy?”  
                “Yeah, this is Biggs. He was in my unit back at Manticore. Was working with us in Jam Pony, too, till he got sighted by White’s guys, and had to high tail it out of there.” Alec smirked a little. “You can put down your gun, Dean.”  
                Biggs, however, was looking between Alec and Dean with raised eyebrows. “I thought your twin was dead.”  
                “I’m the original. Where’s your partner?” Dean asked, refusing to lower his gun. Sam’s didn’t lower a centimeter either, and Keegan kept hers sighted on the door.   
                Biggs looked a little surprised at the less then warm welcome. “Hey, man, we’re all X5s here.”  
                “Doesn’t mean you can’t be working for someone else.” Dean knew he had made a fair point because Biggs nodded, and took a step back into the hall, waving to someone.  
                What Dean and the rest of them didn’t expect, was for two more X5s (one with a newborn), an X6, and several X8s to enter the room. Biggs gave a half shrug. “We’ve been forming groups, and trying to head back to Washington since we heard about Jam Pony and the new base at Terminal City. It’s just hard to move a group this size without attracting a lot of attention.” He turned, pointing to each of the ragged group in turn, “This is Keema, X5 and her baby Jack, and Leah, another X5,” an Asian looking woman stepped forward and nodded, holding her little baby’s arm to make it wave, while the other (sandy-haired, and rather curvy), just watched them suspiciously, “This is Samson, he hates Sam, don’t call him that-”  
                “Good, we already got a Sam.” Dean muttered.  
                “And these guys we generally just call them the Kids, and we’re still working on naming them.” Biggs finished, gesturing towards the pack of X8s who looked more like a pack of street kids.  
                “Well, this is Dean Winchester, my original, and our brother Sam, and my…m-mate Keegan.” Alec said, stuttering over the last word, but making up for it by grabbing Keegan’s hand. Biggs raised his eyebrows at the statement, and Alec made a face.  
                Dean just rolled his eyes. “Ok, introductions over. Why are all of you here?”  
                “We’ve been trying to find transportation big enough for all of us. The school bus we hijacked broke down, and we’ve been walking ever since, but the patrols around here have gotten tighter.” Keema said, shifting the baby Jack in her arms. “Like I said, it’s hard to move with a unit this large, but I’ll be damned if we leave anyone behind.”  
                “I hear ya.” Sam said, holstering his gun, and stepping forward. “Maybe we can help-”  
                “Dude! We barely fit in the damned car!” Dean slapped his forehead, wanting something—for once—to go simple, easy and actually  _according to plan_. “We’re only a little under five clicks away from Denver, right? Alec, why don’t you and Biggs…here…” Dean had to stop the snark; if  _he_  had to pick a name, it wouldn’t have been  _Biggs_ , that was sure. “Go on a head and see if you can steal something for these guys to get to TC with? I’ll have Sam call Max and let her know that we got a group heading their way.”  
                “You are such a wuss.” Sam muttered.   
                Dean just aimed a swat at him, and grinned when he heard the thwack of his hand hitting Sam’s head. “Yeah, well, shut up and do it. Keegan, wanna help see if we can find supplies better for these guys then stale candy?” He wasn’t surprised when she gave him a look, but he was when she didn’t give him an argument, and headed over to the huddled group of four X8s (all who cringed back from her) and started speaking to them in gentle tones, eventually getting them to follow her. He noticed Alec was also watching her. “Yo, Pretty Boy, move your ass! We still need to get the car back here and head off to Wyoming.”  
                “What’s in Wyoming?” Queried the X5 Dean thought was named Leah.   
                He smiled at her, a little patronizing. “Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that…”  
                “Bull shit.” He stopped and actually  _looked_  at her. “You say Wyoming like it’s a suicide mission. What’s going on?”  
                Dean’s heckles rose. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”  
                “Fine.”  
                “Fine.” Dean nodded, feeling very successful when he realized that he was getting ‘are you serious?’ looks from not only his pack, but the ragtag group the sparky,  _annoying_ female was from too. “What? Don’tcha have better things to do then stare?”  
                “I thought it was kinda funny, reminds me of when we were kids.” Sam said, snickering. He still kept a good distance away, but he was grinning as he punched in the number on the cell phone keypad.  
                Dean glared at him once more before heading over towards Keema and Samson ( _Seriously? Who the fuck names these kids?_ ), who looked very uneasy that Biggs was leaving. “You guys ok?”  
                “ _You’re_  an Alpha.” Samson said, wrinkling his nose a little. Dean couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.  
                “Uh, Samson was optimized for behavioral patterns and social observations. Basically, he reads body language.” Keema said, looking vaguely apologetic. “He also has an annoying habit of not keeping his opinions to himself.” In her arms, the baby—Jack—started fussing, waving a fist around and screwing up his face. Samson took one glance at the baby and rolled his grey eyes. “Oh shut up.”  
                “I didn’t say anything.” Samson argued.  
                “I think I missed something.” Dean was certainly not happy being out of the loop…especially when it seemed like something actually  _interesting_.   
                Keema raised her eyes up to him, now jiggling the baby a little. “He argues with Jack. Swears my son is taunting him with body language…” She glared at the X6, who just stared back, completely unimpressed. “He doesn’t seem to understand that Jack’s only seven months.”  
                “He’s tiny.” Dean couldn’t help but lean in, peering closely at the unusually dark-eyed baby. It had to be a transgenic thing; the few second generation X5s he had seen had the same black eyes as Jack. He stopped fussing, and focused on Dean, one tiny fist getting shoved into his mouth. “Ew, man, that can’t taste good.”  
                The baby pulled his fist out, and (Dean would forever swear the kid had  _blurred_ ), used the slimy appendage to grab at Dean’s nose.  
                And whoever said babies smelled like milk and baby powder was a fucking  _liar_. Jack was all  _new-curious-feline-human-pink-wet-need-help-hold-me-care_ , and it was overwhelming to say the least.  
                “Urg.” Dean pulled back (Jack wasn’t letting go without a fight, though, and for a baby with slimy hands, he had a grip), and finally got his head  _away_ , rubbing his face frantically on his sleeve. He  _knew_  he looked like a giant cat, but the kid had grabbed his fucking _nose_! With his baby spit! “Thanks, Jack. Nice to meet you too.”  
                Jack gurgled. Dean suddenly didn’t think Samson was  _completely_  insane.           


	18. Chapter 18

**BASE OF OPERATIONS  
OCTOBER 12th 2021**  
  
                “Tanya?” Rosie peered out through the bars of her cell, rubbing her hands over her bare arms. Her skin felt like it was on fire. It didn’t make sense to her, because the temperature was dropping as the leaves were turning (she had  _that_  much of a view at least). “Tanya?”  
                “I’m trying to sleep.” Came the muffled response. Obviously Tanya wasn’t going to be cooperative today.   
                Rosie sighed. “Tanya, I need to know something!”  
                “Ask the white wizard! He knows!” The ever persistent voice from two cells down sing-songed. Rosie rolled her eyes as CJ, yet again, attempted to be helpful.  
                “I don’t think he can help me with this, CJ.” Rose said, not unkindly. The poor man wanted to help… “I don’t think this has to do with your Cult.”  
 _That_  caught Tanya’s attention, because in the next moment, her bright blue eyes became visible in her small cell window. “Hun, I’m no expert at the other shit.”  
                Rosie scratched at her arms again, trying to make the itching go away, but it was only getting worse. “Did your skin feel like it was on fire before the new-”  
                “They shoved me through their ritual to give me my new abilities. Trust me; these weren’t the ones I started out with. My premonitions stopped around May of 2007. This happened after they poured that snake-blood into me.” Tanya said, her voice sliding away as she moved away from her door.  
                Rose closed her eyes, flashes of the past couple of days blurring across the dark lids. There had been something with a snake…but there had been a syringe, ( _“We wouldn’t want to waste a sacred animal on an ordinary like her”_ ), and it hit her. “Oh god.”  
                “Mutation!” Screamed CJ, cackling loudly. “The  _key_  to EVOLUTION!”  
                “Oh my god.” Her skin was still on fire.  
 **  
TERMINAL CITY  
SEATTLE  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 13th 2021**  
  
                “Hey, Max.” Max spun, not surprised to see Mole, who had stepped up as her second in command in the absence of Alec, right behind her. “You’ve got a visitor, and a phone call, which would you like first?”  
                She sighed, not really wanting either, but resigning herself to the fact that it wouldn’t be in her favor to ignore either. “Phone call. Ask the visitor if they would mind waiting for a minute or two.” Mole nodded, and handed her a land line wordlessly. “Hello?”  
                She could hear something on the line…but not much. And then, there was dial tone. “Mole, there’s no one on the line.”  
                “Huh,” He made a face, “They made it sound urgent. Oh well. I’ll bring him in.” Mole walked to the entrance to the control center, and paused. “Now wait a sec-”  
                “Hello, Max.” Max whirled guard raised, but found herself face to face with the tall, dark haired and pale Castiel. She hesitated for a moment, but Castiel just laid a warm hand on her guard, and she felt a sense of peace swirl through her.  
                “Now wait just a minute…” Mole started, but he froze in his tracts when Castiel pinned him with his slightly sorrowful gaze. “What are you?”  
                “An angel of the Lord.” Castiel said with no emotion, before turning back to Max. “Someone else from Heaven has been here recently, in contact with you.” He didn’t make it a question.   
                “Uh…no?” Max said, caught off guard. “I mean, not that I know of.”   
                Castiel reached out, and out of instinct, Max pulled back. “I will not hurt you. I only wish to see what you saw. I can sense the remnants of Heaven here as easily as I can see you here.” He held out his hand. “Please.”  
                “I don’t know, Max.” Mole said, chewing more on his cigar.   
                Max, however, found that she really didn’t have any reason not to trust Castiel (aside from the fact he happened to be a close, personal friend of a certain Winchester whom she  _really_  didn’t like…). “Mole, he’s one of the good guys. Even more so then we’ll ever be.” And she stepped back into his arm’s reach.  
                And suddenly, the events of the brown-out were replaying in her mind again, flashing in vivid detail; the old woman was  _glowing_  white, pure, purer then anything she had ever seen; and back when Logan’s niece had come to visit, the same old woman in the chapel; but she was glowing that same, pure white—  
                And Max suddenly found herself on the floor, Castiel staggering back from her, expression shocked. Mole was there in an instant, but his screamed questions were nothing more than a fog, as she stared at Castiel, and he stared back at her. “I need to find that woman.” His voice cut through the questions and fog like a knife.  
                “I have no idea where she is.”  
                “Then I will remain until she returns again.” And just like that, he was gone, leaving behind only the retreating sound of flapping wings.  
                “What the fuck just happened?” Mole demanded, helping Max to her feet.   
                Max gave the transhuman sad look. “You just met an angel.” She vaguely realized how shocked she sounded, and wished she could cover it up…but there was the truth to the matter. No matter how tough and rough she was…there were things out there that could level her with a thought. And apparently, one of them was sticking around. “Go try to trace that call…see if we can find out who it was. Sam Winchester called a few days ago to let us know there was a caravan of transgenics coming in as soon as they could find transportation for them…may be about them.”  
                Mole nodded once, before hesitantly moving towards the control consol.   
  
 **DENVER  
COLORADO  
OCTOBER 13th 2021**  
  
                “That should be all the supplies you guys need.” Alec said, helping Biggs lift the last of the crates into the back of the  _newer_  school bus that Alec and him had liberated just a few days previous for the cause. He closed the door, and gave it a knock, so that Dean would pull away from the motel entrance a little more.  
                Biggs glanced up at Alec, wiping sweat off his brow. “Were you serious before?”   
                “You are so going to have to be more specific than that. This is  _me_  we’re talking about.” Alec said, raising his eyebrows.  
                Biggs chuckled, but there was a seriousness to it that Alec didn’t remember being there when he last saw his Second in Command. “About you and 105. Bein’ mates.”   
                Alec couldn’t help the feline part of him rising at that, heckles going up, hell, by the prickling on his neck, his  _hair_  was standing on end, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Yeah. Why.” Biggs looked awkward, and shifted his gaze around. And just as quickly, Alec’s primal instinct disappeared as he  _sensed_  the emotions flowing off Biggs. “Seriously? Keema? You don’t even like kids!”  
                “Jack’s growing on me!” Biggs said, turning red. “And shut up!”  
                Alec rolled his eyes, watching Keema exit the motel with baby Jack in her arms and Samson in tow, glaring at the baby as if it was mocking him. “Kids? Seriously?” Alec repeated, watching the little one with some apprehension.  
                “Well, at least I know the old 494 is still in there!” Biggs joked, slapping Alec on the back. Alec gave him a tight smile in response. “…So what’s the deal with Wyoming? Got something to do with Manticore?”  
                Alec gave him a sidelong glance. “Not exactly.”  
                Biggs returned the look with a pout. “You always tell me everything, man.”  
                “Not sure if you’d believe this one.”  
                “Try me.”   
                Alec paused, sizing Biggs up before shaking his head. “We dealt with some fucked up shit at Manticore, Biggs, but this goes far beyond that-”  
                “EVERYBODY DOWN!” Biggs and Alec both turned to look at Dean before Keegan suddenly came flying at them, knocking them both to the ground as an explosion rocked the bus, and the Winchester’s stolen car.  
                “Keely?” Alec asked, looking at her as she scrambled to her feet.  
                “Familiars!” She said, catching a gun that Dean tossed her way. “Get them into the bus! Sam’s calling TC-”  
                “Wait, I’m coming with you!” Biggs said, reaching up to stop Keegan, but, instead, getting Alec instead.  
                “You stay with your unit!” Alec growled, shoving him in the direction of the driver’s side of the bus. “Get them there safely!”  
                And then Dean was there, shoving an unconscious Leah into Biggs’ arms. Biggs nearly dropped her, gapping at the oddly familiar man before stuttering, “Wha-”  
                “Take her with you! Now, before she gets herself  _killed_ , by  _me_!” And he was gone, grabbing Alec’s arm and the two of them rushing off with freakishly similar gaits.  
                Biggs shifted Leah’s weight in his arms, and booked it for the bus. He leapt into the open side door, passing off Leah to Samson, before taking a quick head count. Everyone was there. “I guess we’re outta here.”  
                “What happened to Leah?” Samson asked, checking her over for wounds as Biggs shifted into gear.  
                Biggs suspected that it was something along the lines of Leah refusing to leave with the rest of them and Dean knocking her unconscious (he didn’t look the sort…but Leah  _did_ tend to bring that out in people), but it also could have easily been she was standing too close to the explosions…so he just shrugged, and ducked down as the bus rocked with another explosion. “Doesn’t matter, time to get outta here!”  
                Outside, Dean watched the bus get off, and had a grim surge of satisfaction before gripping the Familiar’s head between his hands and twisting. He  _hated_  these fuckers, and yet, here they were, intent on taking out a group of nearly defenseless kids ( _heh, defenseless genetically engineered super-soldiers_ ), and he only killed  _one_. Just one.  
                Alec had rounded up at least four others, Keegan had another two, and Sam was currently the reigning champion with seven of the Familiar’s tactic squad pinned to the wall of the motel, struggling against his demon telekinesis with a sad futility. Dean was _so_  blaming Leah for his low score; if she hadn’t been following him around, pestering him to know what was going on in Wyoming, or why he was suddenly “listening to nothing”, he totally would have gotten more.   
                “Why are you here?” Dean growled, walking right up to one of the ones Sam had pinned against the wall. The man cursed in that weird language that the Familiars spoke, and spit at him. Dean wiped the glob away, glancing at Sam, whose pupil’s contracted, and the man screamed in pain. “Let’s try this again…why are you here?”  
                “Blow me.” The man bit out, blood dripping from his nose.   
                Dean was already moving to the next one, even as he heard the man’s neck snap. “I’ll ask just one more time. Why are you guys here?”  
                “Reports of transgenics!” While Dean hated the fact it was so stereotypical, it was the youngest of the group (barely eighteen with ginger hair), who squealed from Alec’s tight grip on his throat.  
                “Get back on the phone with TC. Let them know the Familiars are taking leads on reports of transgenics outside of TC, and trying to blow them up. See if they can get word out to Biggs’ convoy. Alec?” Just as Dean did not want to expose Sam (or even Alec for that matter) to what would come next, he  _knew_  without a doubt, Alec was just  _itching_  for it. He knew it because  _he_  was…the need to defend his pack, his family…add on ‘mate’ and there was the trifecta.  
                And he had learned long ago, you  _killed_  monsters, whatever form they took. Sam was always hesitant when they wore human faces (unless they were demons), but he yanked the six remaining to the ground, forcing them to their knees.  
                Dean hated how Alec’s face went just as blank as his did, but he couldn’t ask this of anyone else. Eleven shots later, and Dean found himself placing a hand over Alec’s, pushing his gun down. “He’s just a kid.”  
                The look in Alec’s eyes was almost unreadable. Thankfully he didn’t have to rely on that. ** _I_** _completed my first kill before his age…and he’ll just go back, and get stronger, and kill **more**. He’s  **not**  just a kid._ Alec saw him as an honest to god threat.  
                Dean was thrown; this wasn’t the sarcastic, upbeat (annoying) clone he had adopted. “Alec.” Alec’s eyes focused on Dean, even though he continued to keep his face pointed at the trembling kid’s skull. “494, lower your gun,  _now_.” Alec  _finally_  moved, slowly clicking the safety back on, and holstering the gun, and Dean almost let out a sigh of relief—  
                In a flash, Alec had kicked out, knocking the kid unconscious with one swift blow to the temple that probably caused brain damage. “Either defend this pack, this family,  _Keegan_ , or  _I’ll_  make sure it stays safe.” And he pushed past Dean, shoulder slamming into the other’s before stalking over to the car. Sam was giving Dean his ‘we need to talk’ look, determinedly not looking at the bodies he was maneuvering into a pile telekinetically.  
                The unconscious boy remained just that, unconscious.  
                “Keegan, ash these suckers.” Was the only thing Dean said before following his brother into the abandoned motel’s main office. He saw Keegan move forward, her hands cradling twin green flames, Alec as always, in her line of sight. There was a flash of green light, and not even a burning smell, she made the flames so hot. And then Dean let the door slam shut. “What?”  
                “Dean, what the hell?” Sam gestured vaguely towards Alec, looking white faced and pained, out the window. “He’s hanging on by a thread and you just had him  _execute_  five freakin’ people! And he nearly killed the kid; and  _my god_  Dean, what the fuck were you _thinking_ , executing-”  
                Dean held up a hand, knowing he was showing way too much emotion on his face, but unable to do a damned thing about it. “Sam, did you happen to notice we are fighting for our very  _existence_  here? And that these cult people, these  _Familiars_ , they don’t just want to wipe out transgenics…they want to wipe out  _human kind_. This is a  _war_ , and a quick, painless death is far more than any of them would have given any of us.” He glanced back at the window, at Alec, who was nuzzling Keegan’s neck, and she was whispering something…and he seriously hoped it was a trick of the light, because he really didn’t think he could cope if those were  _tears_  streaming down Alec’s face. “And I didn’t have to tell him to do anything.”  
                “No…but maybe you just asked him to do something  _Manticore_  made him do.” Sam pointed out rather scathingly.  
                And Dean froze. Sam had a  _very_  valid point.  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
OCTOBER 15th 2021**  
  
                Rosie wasn’t even aware of where she was anymore.  
                She knew she had been moved, there were red tapestries on the walls, but that was it. And everything still  _burned_. She had seen herself, hadn’t believed that she had only looked a little pale, she was being torn apart and rearranged—  
                “Is she going to make it?” The voice was vaguely feminine.  
                “I don’t know.” That voice was more authoritative, like a doctor, or a lawyer.  
                “If the Special Children don’t make it through the test-”  
                “Don’t talk like that! The witch said that they had been  _bred_  for it, similar to  _our_ standards. The Conclave felt she was the strongest of the Children…”  
                Rose felt a cool hand press her forehead, stroking some of her hair away that had been plastered there with her sweat. The gesture was almost kind…almost affectionate. “I don’t want to see her suffer.” It was the last thing that Rose heard before silence engulfed her again.  
 **  
PORT COLLINS  
COLORADO  
OCTOBER 15th 2021**  
  
                “Why are we stopping?” There was entire too much panic in Alec’s voice. And Dean knew why.  
                They were traveling far too slow, but Wyoming was looming ever closer…and Dean just didn’t feel  _ready_  to throw into this huge show down. But, this was a legitimate stop, sadly enough. And Dean leaned over the back seat, “We’re out of gas, Alec. We need to get more.”  
                “Alec, luv, calm down.” Dean had to  _really_  listen to Keegan; she was obviously just as agitated as Alec, because her accent was  _strong_. “It’s alright we’re far enough away-”  
                Alec made a scathing noise. “If we just took the extra containers-”  
                “They were for a  _school_ , Alec.” Now Sam was turning in his seat, peering at Alec with something akin to concern. “You’re usually completely on the ball with the whole ‘only stealing from people who can afford it’ thing.”  
                “That was _before_  the world was ending.” Alec muttered, finally slouching back into the seat. Keegan shared a look with both Dean and Sam before leaning over and rubbing her hand over Alec’s barcode. However, instead calming, like Dean had seen him do a thousand times since Keegan had discovered that particular spot, Alec rolled his right shoulder, dislodging her hand.  
                Dean threw the car into park and turned in his seat again, pinning Alec in his stare. “Ok, what is up with your bipolar-ness?”  
                Alec obviously wasn’t intimidated. “Dunno, maybe you’re absolute incompetence as a leader?”  
                Dean could  _feel_  the sympathetic winces from both Keegan and Sam, and saw Alec flick his eyes towards Keegan once. “You got a problem with me, kid, just say so.”  
                Alec flashed him the barest of grins. “I think I just did. Maybe you should get your hearing checked, old man.”   
                Dean growled low in his throat and threw open the car door. “You want to take this outside?!”  
                “Uh…guys…” Sam tried, but Dean turned and snarled at  _him_.  
                “Yeah, lets.” Alec said, grinning in a very feral way, and pulling away from Keegan, who was cursing in that musical language Dean always assumed was Fae.  
                “Go n-ithe an cat thú, is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat, amaldan.*”  _That_  was Gaelic, but she didn’t follow them out of the car (despite her protests), and instead just sat there, exchanging worried looks with Sam.  
                But Dean was already moving away from the car, Alec following him from the gas station and the curious attendant, into the lot behind the station. Dean shrugged off his shirt, and turned to face Alec, who was doing similar.  
                There was one chance, one hope that Dean’s more human side had to get out of this without losing one of his family…If Alec didn’t really want to challenge him for leadership (and this was obviously the panther in Alec, though Dean didn’t doubt there was a bit in the human part as well), Alec could look away, they could talk this out…  
                Dean stared down at Alec…  
                But Alec didn’t look away. And then  _something_  surged forward in him, and Dean felt himself start to move towards his clone, and  _forced_  himself to stop. He gave this odd lurch instead. “You  _really_  think you can do better, 494?”  
                Alec grinned, but there was nothing mirthful or bright in this; it was baring his teeth which, unless Dean was seeing things (and he half hoped he was), were now sporting elongated canines. “I think I can wipe the floor with you, 112.”  
                “My  _name_  has  _always_  been  _Dean_.” And with that, Dean surged forward, and Alec caught him head on, holding him at a stale mate. They were evenly matched in strength.  
                “Really? Cause I seem to remember  _this_  body walkin’ around with no soul for eleven years,  _112_.” Alec laughed. Dean bristled even more, and tried to get a leg behind Alec’s to sweep him—  
                Alec yanked his leg out of the way, and Dean, already off balance from  _trying_  to sweep him, felt his equilibrium swing, as his other foot was suddenly no longer connected with the ground. He fell back, not letting go of Alec, and brining a knee up to throw the whelp over him.  
                He didn’t expect to be going  _with_  him, as Alec was apparently ready for that move, and managed to land on Dean’s chest. Dean took the hit full force, and lost his breath for a minute, which made Alec smile.  
                “Wow, more outta shape then I would have thought. I’m doin’ you a  _favor_.” There was no warning; the panther in Dean surged forward, and he went for Alec’s neck, one hand driving him backwards the other going for a punch to the stomach. Alec’s eyes widened in surprise, but the growl he made was completely panther as he struggled backwards, momentarily backing off…  
                And then, it would have been easier to describe had they both  _actually_  been panthers. At some point, Dean had dropped to nearly all fours, because fighting Alec meant you had to stay low to the ground; he could trip you up easily with his legs and flash-bang attacks.  
                But Alec wasn’t fighting completely military; it would be more akin to tiger style kung fu, if not for the blatant  _animal_  way he was moving. Dean half expected to see a tail flicking in agitation behind him (and behind himself for that matter).  
                Fifteen minutes into the fight, and they were both slowly circling each other, Dean limping, and bleeding from a nasty cut on his face, Alec cradling one wrist (Dean suspected it was broken) to his chest, but his snarl was fixed.  
                And Dean was just about ready to call this thing a draw when, without warning, Alec leapt at him, both hands extended—it  _wasn’t_  broken—  
                Dean went down, and went down hard. There were hands on his throat, he couldn’t breathe, and the other was pinning him with his legs. Dean flailed at him with his hands, but he wasn’t ready for this—  
                “Told ya so.” Was hissed in his ear, the voice hauntingly familiar… _You’re going to Hell! And this? This is what you’re going to become!_  his face with black eyes and a bloodstained face…  
                “Alec!” It was Keegan’s voice, and Sam’s too, and he could just barely see them running behind the building—  
                And suddenly, the hands were off his throat, and he rolled away as fast as he could, sucking in cool, refreshing air, and dry heaving a little. When he glanced up, he half expected to see Sam and Keegan restraining Alec…but Alec had stood up on his own, his back to him, only looking at Keegan.  
                “We’re outta here.” Alec said, and the similarities between him and what Dean privately thought of as ‘NotMe’ had grown, especially in voice. “Sam?”  
                Dean could tell by the tone that Alec didn’t expect Sam to come with him. It didn’t make him feel better, though, hearing Sam say ‘No, Alec.’.  
                “I don’t think we-” Dean nearly forced himself to move at the snarl that Alec gave in response to Keegan’s question, but she just fell silent, and into step slightly behind him, glancing once over her shoulder.  
                Dean finally understood, and it didn’t make him want to move. He let himself fall back to the ground, frowning, and miserable. There was a hitch in Alec’s footsteps…but then he continued on.  
                “Dean…” Sam was gently touching his shoulder, “Dean, you need to get up…or are you too hurt?”  
                Dean turned his head, refusing to look at Sam. There was a sense of shame…he had  _lost_ , Sam should be going with Alec…  
                But Sam had the least amount of DNA meddling…and therefore the least amount of animal DNA mixing with his emotions and thoughts. It made him physically weaker and slower, but it also kept him from the laws of the pack…what Dean was feeling…  
                He should be abandoned now…the Omega wolf. But there was Sam. And almost as if he was psychic himself ( _no duh_ ), he felt Sam lay down in the dust, just close enough for Dean to know he was there, not close enough to make him feel crowded. “You know it’ll take more then you losing a fight to drag me away, Dean. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”   
                Dean finally pulled his head up. “Bitch.”  
                Sam gave him a shove on the shoulder. “Jerk.” There was another long pause, and then Dean finally pulled himself into a sitting position. “You know they’ll be back.”  
                “You don’t know that. This is different, Sammy,  _primal_.”  
                But Sam just sat up, and smiled. “But Dean…you haven’t taken one thing into consideration.” Dean raised his eyebrows. “Alec and Keegan? They’re  _Winchesters_. We may take off for a while…but we always come back. We’re  _family_.”  
  
 **THE COLORADO/WYOMING BORDER**  
 **OCTOBER 16th, 2021**  
  
                “Well…this is it.” Alec peered through the windshield of the stolen jeep at the Border Patrol walking the top of the fence. In the passenger side, Keegan said nothing. Alec sat back in the seat, and looked over at her, frowning. “Keely?”  
                It would have been more welcoming sitting in a car by himself for all the response he was getting. Keegan had slammed up every wall that she had learned in her four centuries, and was sitting still enough to be a statue. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was pissed as all hell at him.  
                He had a pretty good idea  _why_  she was too.  
                “Look, I know you’re probably pissed at me for Challenging Dean…” He eased off the break, letting the jeep inch forward as the line moved up one car. “I’m not sorry, I  _can’t_ be sorry…I blame the cat in me.” He flashed her his most charming smile, going for an easy joke, but she didn’t even look at him. He let the smile slip from his face, and sighed.  
                The line into Wyoming inched forward.  
                “Keegan…” He took his right hand off the wheel, reached out for her; she didn’t move away, but she didn’t react either. He pulled his hand away. He had never realized how much he depended on the little she let slip through her shields…how much he relied on his empathy on dealing with everyone… “Keegan, baby, please.” He shifted into park, not caring if the line moved anymore. He reached out with both of his hands, grasping hers. She kept them limp, but did glance down at his hands with raised eyebrows.  
                “What do you want me to do, damnit!” He dropped her hands and leaned back against the seat, let his head hit the head rest. “You want me to admit it isn’t sitting right with me too? Well, fine, there, I just did.”   
                Silence.  
                A car horn honked behind him, and he snarled to himself, before popping the car into first, then yanking the wheel, pulling the jeep out of the line. He jumped the clutch and shifted into second then immediately to third, hearing the gears protest, but jeeps were designed to be ridden hard, and it jumped to the challenge. They were heading back down route 25, though Alec wasn’t sure how exactly they were going to find Sam and Dean again…or if Dean would even accept Alec back…  
                He felt something brush his leg, and glanced down, seeing Keegan’s hand resting closer to him then she had the entire time, and feeling, just barely, a hint of  _love-approval-affection-finally_  touch his thoughts.  
                “I’m fucking whipped.” He muttered under his breath.  
 _Yeah…but you love it…_    
                Alec stopped, slamming on the breaks, and unsettling Keegan from her seat. He spun to face her. “Please, please,  _please_  tell me you just said that out loud.”  
                Keegan’s eyes widened, and at that moment, Alec smelled smoke, gun smoke. And explosion knocked into the jeep, and darkness swallowed them.  
                A good hundred miles or so away, Dean Winchester felt like his heart was getting ripped out of his chest. He slammed on the breaks and got in the car into park, whispering, “Something’s wrong,”, before he slumped over in his seat, unconscious.  
                Sam had no idea what to do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *May the cat eat you, and the devil eat the cat, you foolish men!


	19. Chapter 19

**TERMINAL CITY  
SEATTLE   
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 20th 2021**  
  
                “And where do you think you’re going?”  
                Biggs froze in his tracks, wincing a little bit as the voice managed to grate on that  _last_ nerve he had been holding on to. He didn’t want to turn, but it was  _Leah_ , and, if anything, she could be  _more annoying_  then the current leader of the transgenic nation, and it took a greater man then him to ignore her. “ _I’m_  going to see who this mysterious ‘Cas’ is, and try to figure out how he knows Alec’s original and his brother.”  
                However, Leah just stared at him, making a face. “You honestly think I’m gonna believe _that_?”  
                “It  _is_  the truth.” Biggs turned, and finally faced the sandy blonde who  _still_  wore the Manticore grey fatigues whenever she was in TC, and rolled his eyes. “We haven’t heard from Alec and them since they distracted whoever was coming after us.”  
                “I  _told_  you, they were Familiars, from the Cult.” However, there was  _something_  in her eyes, an emotion that Biggs wasn’t used to seeing there.   
                He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Leah, what’s wrong?” He cocked his head to the side, as she looked away, and shifted her weight. “Are you  _worried_  about them?”  
                “No!” Leah was about to finish her apparently outraged thought when there was a small motion off to the side. Both of them fell silent, and Leah’s hand dropped to her gun, holstered to her leg. After a moment, though, the source of the stepped out of the shadows.  
                Biggs put a hand over Leah’s. It was an old woman, who was looking at them as if she had been searching for them, “OH, Dear, I seem to have gotten turned around…” Biggs and Leah shared a look, before glancing back at the woman.  
                “Where are you trying to get to, Ma’am?” Leah asked, stepping forward.  
                “I saw…a bright figure…reminded me of…home…” She babbled, looking in the corner as if the figure was hiding in the dark shadow.  
                Biggs leaned in to the woman, took a sniff, then tapped his nose. Leah nodded; the woman wasn’t transgenic. “Ma’am…you know it’s not safe here. This area of Terminal City isn’t cleaned up for Ordinaries.”  
                The old woman smiled at them, looking at them as if they were her grandchildren, and she was especially proud of them. “But, my dears, I’m not simply Ordinary…”  
                “Wait!” Biggs and Leah spun, Leah un-holstering her gun and bringing it to bear on a dark-haired man with sad eyes. Biggs had just enough time to realize it was the man he had heard Max refer to as ‘Cas’ when there was a warm hand on his shoulder, weathered with age, but still firm in its grip.   
                “You…” The old woman stepped forward, using Biggs to help herself scuffle forward. “You look like home.”  
                Cas was staring at the woman like she was the second coming, and then dropped to one knee. “Father…”  
                And there was a flash, a whirl, and suddenly, Biggs, Leah, Cas and the old woman weren’t in TC anymore. But Biggs would be damned if he could figure out exactly  _where_ they were…  
 **  
CHEYENNE  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 20th 2021**  
                The first thing that Dean was aware of was the  _god-awful_  taste in his mouth. He reached a hand up to wipe at his mouth…and  _knew_  that something was wrong.  
                His arm felt sore, and tired, like it had the first time he had used it after getting it out of the cast it had been in for three months when he was twelve.  
                That’s when the rest of the pain came flooding in. “Oh dear god.” Well, that was what he tried to say. What came out, however, was more like “ohdegoah” and also caused a major hacking cough. Almost instantaneously, there were hands on his shoulders, and a glass of water being pressed to his lips, which he drank thirstily, despite the fact that he was still coughing and spraying whoever was holding the glass with precious H2O.  
                “Slow down! You’re gonna choke!” He knew that voice; that was  _Sammy_.  
                “You’re still here.” He knew it sounded nothing like what he was trying to say, but Sam seemed to understand, and Dean felt himself get squeezed in a tight hug, before the glass was being pressed against his lips again. He started to drink, but much slower this time, and he finally realized what was wrong with the entire situation.  
                He opened his eyes.  
                The light hurt and his eyes felt dry, but it was better than fumbling around blind. He blinked, but it didn’t help much, just made his vision swim and then blearily take in the rather hulking (and blurry) form of what he sincerely hoped was his brother. And Sam _really_  needed to cut his damn hair. And, for the first time, he got a  _really_  good look at his brother’s eyes…  
                He was just wondering if his vision was going again when a sound caused Sam to look away, moving his head out of Dean’s limited field of vision. And Dean had time to wonder  _where_  they were, because it didn’t  _smell_  like the car they had stolen, nor really like Colorado had (he always  _knew_  states had smells…). “Wh…wh…”  
                “Where? Cheyenne, Wyoming. When? October twentieth, and yes that means you were out for four days and a couple hours. Why? I think Alec and Keegan are in trouble, and you somehow sensed it because your Alpha telepathy and the fact they’re family blended with the feral part of your mind, and probably a bit of those divine abilities too. I’ve had four days to think about this, Dean, stop giving me that look. It only makes you look constipated.” A beat. “You’re not are you?”  
                If Dean could have, he would have thrown a witty repertoire back, probably insulting Sam and making insinuations about his sexuality. As apparently all he could currently speak was Dry Mouth, he settled for giving Sam the most scathing look he could manage. And by Sam’s furrowed brow, he wasn’t succeeding in the ‘You are beneath me, shut the fuck up’ department. “ ‘m fah.” Which, of course, Sam better understand as ‘I’m fine’ or else he was  _so_  murdering his little brother.  
                And apparently the college learning did do something for the kid, as Sam nodded, and came closer, holding up a white pill for Dean to see. And while he absolutely  _hated_  to be treated like an invalid, he certainly recognized  _that_  pill—Vicodin—and opened his mouth. The pill seemed to stick in his throat, and the water didn’t get rid of the horrible after taste, but hopefully (and with X5 metabolisms, it was only hopefully), he would have some relief from the general  _pain_  flooding his entire body.   
                Manticore and the angels mixing with his feline DNA (another thanks to Manticore). Dean decided that, after this, he was done. A free fucking man. Screw Heaven and screw the damned country. This  _so_  wasn’t worth it.  
                He blissfully fell asleep again mentally chastising himself for knowing he would never be able to keep that promise.  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
OCTOBER 21st, 2021**  
  
                There was ice and damp surrounding Rose. And there was a man with shark like eyes staring at her with an eerie severity that just took over everything. And it scared her.   
                It scared her even more when he threw another girl into the cell (she thought it was a cell, it felt-smelled- _tasted_ -like the cell), and laughed something about spending time without her mate.  
                And then there had been the keening. She could barely see, but the girl had looked beaten to all hell, and probably wasn’t conscious enough to be aware she was making the noise at all. But then she had heard  _him_. She instinctively knew the sound was male, and CJ claimed it was someone he had heard before, but there was a longing,  _animal_ sound to it, and it was horrible to hear.  
                But at least his also alternated with cursing out the man with shark eyes. Not that it was unprecedented. From what Rose had heard so far, she suspected that he was a transgenic, and one with whom Shark Eyes had a personal vendetta with.   
                “Day-am, what  _is_  that smell?” Asked  _Him_ , and Rose forced her eyes open, just in time to see Shark Eyes walk calmly past her small door, heading down the hall. In a flash, she was suddenly at the door, and looking out the bars, her vision only slightly better. She could see yellow-green eyes glaring at the dirty blonde man who looked like a suit…except for those  _eyes_.  
                “I wouldn’t be so glib, 494.” Shark Eyes replied, calmly.  
                “It’s Alec, jackass. Alec Winchester.” Rose’s eyes widened. Her guardian angels’ names had been Winchester…  
                “You think naming yourself makes you more  _human_? More  _civilized_?”   
                “Я и есть цивилизованный человек, чертова ты задница. Просто я лучше.” Came a response that, if Rose would have to guess, sounded a bit like what she imagined Russian would. Shark Eyes said nothing. “Oh, I forgot, if it isn’t your made up language, it isn’t worth learning. I’ll boil it down for you: I’m  _better_.”  
                Shark Eyes just smiled, and reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small remote that looked like it went to a pre-Pulse car. Alec’s ( _Alec **Winchester** …what if he’s their little brother, or one of their sons?_) eyes widened a little bit, as did Shark Eyes’ smile ( _White…Alec called him White in his head…_ ). “So glib…you  _sure_  you want to risk your little kitten’s life?” And he pressed the button, and not a moment later, the girl in Rosie’s cell let out a screech and curled in on herself, spazming as if she was shocked. And the keening noise came again, from both of them.  
                The loud band of Alec throwing himself at the cell door startled her out of the fear and horror driven paralysis, turning her attention back to the fight going on in the hall way. She was starting to understand Shark Eyes’ statement…the Alec she saw (at least his eyes), were feral, and he was snarling. And Shark Eyes was obviously feeling justified. “Ah…and the illusion of civility vanishes…”  
                “Coming from the man who locks up innocent people and keeps them in cages!” Alec roared.  
                “I don’t think you’re innocent at all. I read your Manticore file…I know how many people you killed, how much blood is on your hands.” White replied, maintaining his calm.  
                “Not on mine! I don’t hear you blaming troops for the people they killed since they were just  _following orders_ …then again, you’re not exactly on Uncle Sam’s side anymore are you.”  
                Rosie didn’t have a good enough view to see what happened next, but she assumed there was another button on that little remote because suddenly Alec’s eyes disappeared with a yowl of pain, and the girl in her cell started making soft hissing noises. “I think that’s thanks to my former partner, and  _you’re_  former mark, Eyes Only.” From the sound of his voice, White wasn’t so calm anymore.  
                “I think its thanks to your questionable loyalty and your supreme asshole-ness.” The yellow-green eyes appeared again. “That, or all the inbreeding you cultists do.”  
                “At least I won’t be making freaks like you.” And Shark Eyes leaned closer to the cell. “The children we have won’t be covered in fur or have claws-” Alec bared his teeth, which even from this distance, Rose could see the elongated (and sharp) canines. “Or fangs…” White chuckled. “How much do you wanna bet your girlfriend’s freak will be more animal then human?”  
                Alec’s eye’s widened. “What are you talking about?”  
                And White/Shark Eyes just smiled evilly. “You didn’t know…” And laughed.  
                “What are you talking about?” Alec growled, looking more panicked. White just turned and walked away. “Damnit, you fucker, tell me what you—gah!” And the yellow-green eyes disappeared again as White clicked both buttons on the remote, and the high keening repeated from both of them.   
                Rose closed her eyes, and  _reached out_  towards Alec…he had walls. It was strange, and she wasn’t used to meeting walls…  
 _She can’t be…no, I’d know…Dean’s gonna_ kill _me…if White doesn’t kill us first…I gotta get Keegan and our…_  And she lost the connection to his mind as he slammed the walls up again, obviously sensing her presence…  
                That was when she realized she was standing in the hallway…looking into those yellow-green eyes through the window in  _his_  door. “Who are you?” His voice was hoarse, and he was shaking, obviously hanging onto the door for support. White must have been shocking them…  
                “ _Rose… Rose Holt._ ” She said, forcing her voice to be steady.  
                They eyes were looking at her calculating. “Well, Rosie, I’m Alec…and how the  _fuck_  did you get out of your cell?”  
                Rose took a step back from the door. “ _How do you know I’m not one of those Cult people?_ ”  
                Alec tapped his nose. “Smelled you when I was brought in. And if you were one of those cult freaks, you wouldn’t ask me ‘how do I know I’m not one of those Cult people’.” He looked past her, peering at her cell. “You’re with Keegan. How did you get out of your cell?”  
                “ _I—_ ” She went to put her hand on his door, but her fingers didn’t even touch the metal, they  _vanished_  and it  _hurt_. Alec hissed and leapt backwards, nearly cracking his skull on the far wall. Rose jumped back too, but found herself back in her bed, and forcing her eyes open.  
                From down the hall, she heard Alec mutter, “Great…this place is fucking haunted too.”  
                “Always ghosts around here!”  
                “Oh god, CJ?” She swear, that time she  _heard_  Alec hit his head against something. “Can this get any worse?”  
 _Yes,_  Rose thought to herself,  _You can suddenly wake up after having some wackos inject you with blood from a **snake**  and not only can you read minds better then you have before…but now you’re walking around…and leaving your body behind…_  
 **  
CHEYENNE  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 22nd, 2021**  
  
                Dean awoke the second time, and it was much more pleasant. His throat wasn’t raw, and his eyes weren’t as blurry nor hard to focus. And he was able to quietly observe the motel room in which Sam had holed the two of them up in. And Sam…he was going to have to have a talk to Sam about taking better care of himself, he was looking far too skinny, and way too pale as he busied himself around the motel room, making phone calls to people he could only assume were the contacts Ellen had given him and Terminal City. Part of him hoped the list also included Alec and/or Keegan, but—  
                “Fuck!” Well, his movement was impaired as he curled around himself, clutching at his stomach. He wasn’t used to this kind of pain; it was almost unbearable, and there were these shocking sensations, not nearly as bad, but sometimes they felt like he was getting hit twice…  
                “Dean!” And Sam’s hands were on his shoulders, trying to uncurl him. Dean  _didn’t_  want to be uncurled. “Dean, please, let me know what’s happening!”  
                “My stomach!” And then there was a flash  _he saw a cell, and a teenaged girl, two of her, one lying on the cot, the other standing by the door, almost see though, and he felt the pain even **more**.  
                “Keegan!” He heard the see through girl call, though her voice echoed, and the breath intake was from the body on the bed. “Keegan, are you ok?”  
                He heard a keening noise, and he felt his heart leap; it sounded like Alec_ ; and then he was back in the motel room, and Sam was waving his hand in front of his eyes. “Damnit, Dean, stop freaking me out like that!”  
                “White has Keegan.” He took a deep breath. “And Alec, I think. And that girl…I  _know_ her…”He looked up, his vision completely clear, and feeling completely healthy for the first time in …well, now it had to be at least five days…but by his internal clock, it was probably more like six. And part of him  _knew_ …   
                He pushed the blankets off himself, and threw his legs over the side of the bed, where they were caught by Sam. “Dude! What the fuck do you think you’re doing!”  
                “I know where they are, we need to go help them!” Sam raised an eyebrow, and Dean’s hand hit his forehead. “I just  _know_!”  
                “Then where are they?” Sam asked, completely calm.  
                “I don’t know! But I know how I can find them…no problem.” Sam raised his eyebrows again. “Dude, it’s a pack thing.”  
                “Like you’re miraculous healing?” Sam didn’t sound convinced.  
                Dean gave him a slightly mocking grin. “I do have the angelic touch.”  
                “Apparently.” And Sam let go of his legs, letting him swing himself to his feet. However, when Dean stood, his legs didn’t support his weight, and Sam was there, arm under Dean’s, and steadying him. “Easy there.”  
                “We have to go north. They’re near…same state…” Dean pushed Sam away from him, and staggered towards the couch, where he spied his duffle with his clothes. And he needed to talk to Sam about making sure that, the next time he was caring for anyone who slept for six days, he should  _really_  change their clothes. “Sam, come on-”  
                Sam didn’t move, and made a noise that Dean just  _knew_  was going to be an argument. So he ignored him, and shoved off his rank boxers, dragging his weak ass over to the duffle to grab a change, and one of the towels Sam had left by the bag. “Dean, firstly, clothes. Please. I don’t need to see that white ass of yours. Second, the world is about to  _end_. Don’t you think we should-”  
                Dean turned, slowly, locking eyes with his little brother. “Alec needs us.  _Keegan_  needs us…” He looked away. “They’re being tortured. They’re our family. And fuck the damn world, I  _promised_  Alec I wouldn’t abandon him. And I’m not now. Especially not when he’s got Keegan—our sister—with him.” Dean grabbed the towel and wobbled over the bathroom, making a mental prayer that there was hot water. “Family  _always_  comes first.”  
 **  
LOCATION UNKNOWN  
STOP TIME**  
  
                “I can’t see!” Leah was screaming, and it wasn’t helping Biggs’ headache. How he could have a headache when he didn’t even seem to have a body…he wasn’t sure. But then again, they were in TC, and then suddenly  _not_ …and Alec was right. Manticore never trained them for this. “Is anyone there?”  
                “Leah, calm your damn ass down.” Biggs snarled.  
                “Yes, the calmer you are, the easier this will be.” Biggs  _knew_  that voice. It was Cas.  
                “Where are we?” Biggs asked, since he knew someone should.  
                “You are the place between. Where Angels come to receive Revelation.” Biggs would have raised his eyebrows, but there weren’t any to raise. “I know, that probably makes nothing clear…let’s start from the beginning…My name is Castiel, my host is Jimmy, and I am an angel of the Lord. My wards are currently the Winchesters, including Alec and Keegan, and the old woman you met is my Father.”  
                “A girl can’t be a  _father_.” Was from Leah…because, as usual, she wasn’t going to leave anything alone.  
                And for some reason, Biggs got a distinct sense that Castiel was giving her a  _Look_. “He is the Almighty. You don’t think He can be whatever he wants?”  
                “It’s true.” Came the shaky voice of the old woman, but it was echo-y and strange…and it made Biggs want to avert his eyes.  
                “O…k…so why are we here?” Asked Leah, frowning. At least, she sounded like she was frowning.  
                “I don’t want to be interrupted…and your friend needs you.” Castiel said. He sounded closer. “Father…why did you leave Heaven?”  
                “Why? I always leave. They just…moved the door.” The old woman said, and Biggs could just imagine her waving him off.  
                “They  _pulled one over_  on  _God_?” Biggs sometimes  _really_  hated the fact he had found Leah. Especially when her voice hit that pitch.  
                “Some of my superiors are nearly as powerful.” Castiel said. And he sounded sad.  
                “And misguided…but they are my children.” The old woman said. “How can we help Dean?”  
                “What’s so special about Dean?” Again, Biggs  _really_  wanted to slap her. Being non-existent didn’t help that compulsion though. However, the old woman (who was apparently God Himself, go figure), smiled. And Biggs realized he could  _see_  her smile…  
                And then everything spun out of control again, and Biggs lost his sense of where he was.  
 **  
WHEATLAND  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 22nd 2021**  
  
                “Dean, give it up. You lost the trail.” Dean ignored Sam, tilting his head back. And when that didn’t work, he stepped out of the car and stuck his nose in the air. “Dude, seriously.” Dean flipped him the bird. It would be so much easier if Sam kept his mouth shut.  
                There  _were_  X5s here. He could  _smell_  them…which meant Sam should too… But there was something else… The X5s he smelled…they had a tinge of something so familiar…  
                “This seriously isn’t funny…we should be looking for the cowboy cemetery…” Sam paused, and sniffed the air. “Ok, I keep swearing I smell another X5…but it’s like the X5 was just…I dunno-”  
                “Smells like Alec, right?” Dean smirked a little bit. “How the hell did you get the ginormous nose, but  _I_  smelled it first?”  
                “Pack of your pack.” Dean spun, seriously not expecting Castiel to be right behind him.  
                “Holy fucking shit! Cas! How many times do I have to tell you  _not_  to sneak up on me?” Castiel just blinked at him, and Dean hung his head. “Sam, we have a visitor.”  
                “Several, actually.” And that wasn’t from Cas…it was—  
                Dean let his chin hit his chest. “Oh fuck my  _life_.” He spun away from his visitors, and Sam snickered as he climbed out of the car, rolling his eyes. “Sam…kill me now.”  
                “I think we still need to save the world first.” Sam chuckled.  
                “Why did you bring us to  _him_?” Dean hung his head, and tried  _really_  hard to ignore the sandy blonde that was leaning on the slightly Hispanic looking male he knew as Biggs…  
                “Better question, why did you bring them  _back_  here when  _I_  had them stay with their pack in Terminal City.” Dean spun on Castiel, glaring at him…when he noticed the old woman standing next to him. And he paused. “I know you.”  
                The woman smiled at him. “Yes, Dean.”  
                Dean cocked his head to the side. “I’ve never met you before. How can I know you?”  
                “You know me.” She said, still smiling.  
                “Uh…Dean?” Sam was behind him, tapping him on his shoulder…but there was nothing he could do to pull away from the gaze of the old woman.              
And Dean  _knew_  who she was…and it scared him. “Oh my God….”  
                And the old woman smiled, and then answered in  _his_  voice, “Yahtzee.”  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS  
OCTOBER 23rd 2021**  
  
                “This is  _beyond_  weird.” It was Rose’s third time  _jumping_  (she didn’t know what else to call the odd leaping sensation when her spirit jumped from her body), and this time, she had willed herself not to move. The first two times she jumped, she had ended up away from her body, tripping over the transgenic that seemed to get worse and worse, even though Rose had scrounged every blanket she could for her, and tried to give her portions of her food.  
                This time, though, she couldn’t be afraid of her own body…she had to control where she ended up instead of just letting go, and ending up in CJ’s cell (even though he didn’t seem to be able to see her) or hurtling through another prisoner (which was  _not_  fun). And…she didn’t like how thin she was…or how pale…  
                Pulling her eyes away, she turned towards the door. She didn’t have much time. Her internal clock was a bit screwy since she was so sick, and the first time she had been out (on her own accord, when Alec had freaked and thrown salt at her, which had  _hurt_ for some reason) she had been yanked back to her body after only an hour. And it had _sucked_ , she awoke feeling like she was overcoming a very bad flu…  
                The next time, she had pleaded with him from outside his cell, trying to convince him she wasn’t dead (and offering up the status of the female transgenic in her cell, with whom he seemed quite concerned for), but Alec had gotten tired of that track quite quickly, and just curled up in his cell, ignoring her until she felt the strangest sensation of her heart stopping, and then found herself being yanked back to her body, her heart barely pumping until she finally saw through her own eyes. That time had felt like about three hours…so she figured that was her limit…and she had already wasted fifteen minutes by being morbid and staring at her own body.  
                So, sparing one glance at the shivering transgenic, she stepped through the door, and into the hall. Immediately, she saw Tanya’s eyes peering out from the small window in her own cell. “Hey, Spooky.”  
                “ _Shut up._ ” Her voice, which now had a strange echo to it, still bothered her, but she forced a smile at Tanya, who seemed to be looking for it. Tanya, she knew, was looking for reassurances. So far, none of the crazy Cult people, nor the normal humans that they had locked up could see or hear her unless she really focused on it, and she counted that a win in her plans to escape…  
                …if only she could get a certain Winchester to agree.  
                “Don’t tell me the ghost is back…fuck my life…” And obviously, he had heard her. With a final look at Tanya, she glided (it wasn’t walking, though it felt like walking) towards Alec’s cell, and, after a moment’s hesitation, pushed through the door.  
                And she knew why kids at her school had gone on a witch hunt with the announcement of human-looking transgenics—Alec (with whom she had been harboring a small crush) was currently backed into a corner, baring his teeth, his too long hair on end, and his fingers twitching as if attempting to extend claws. He looked more like a threatened cat then the hunky kid in his early twenties she would have expected to see in a  _Tiger Beat_. And, with the bruises yellowing over his body, the cuts mostly healed, and fresh, red blood across his bare upper body, he looked more like something out of a slasher film.  
                “ _I’m not dead! My body is in the cell you smelled…Keegan?—in!_ ” She felt her body flicker, and knew it wasn’t helping her case, but Alec was looking at her oddly.  
                “Say I believe you,” He said, uncoiling himself from the corner, hair smoothing a little bit, like a cat calming down, “Why are you coming to me?”  
                She hesitated. Sure, her heart had leapt when she had heard his name ( _Winchester, like the brothers who saved me_ ), and she had an incredible curiosity about someone who was _engineered_ , but she didn’t want to admit that she was also feeling a mix of slight fear and that damned crush. “ _I think you can help us get out of here._ ” It was most of it, anyway.  
                However, looking at his eyes, she watched in awe as his pupils contracted to cat-like slits before returning to something more normal for the light, and he cocked his head to the side. “You’re lying.” She felt her breath catch in her throat, which was odd considering she didn’t have to breathe. He stepped forward, and she stepped back, and there was a quirk at the corner of his lips that she didn’t trust. “Oh, you do think I can help get everyone out—I can, by the way—but that’s not the only reason why…and now I’m all curious why Casper the Friendly Ghost wants little ole’  _me_.”  
                “ _I don’t think it’s any of your business._ ” She said, in her most dignified voice, drawing her head up. However, Alec adopted a grin like the cat that caught the canary.  
                “I knew it.” And then he froze; as still as only a wild animal could be. It took her a moment to figure out what he was doing, but when it came to her, she got a small trill of fear; he was  _listening_. Suddenly, his eyes snapped back to her. “Get back to your room. Protect her,  _please_.” And there was something in his eyes, something that tugged at her; how could they say they weren’t human?  
                “ _What? Why?_ ” She asked.  
                Alec gave her a pained look. “White’s coming.” Her eyes widened, and she didn’t need to be told twice. She spun, pulling on the thin thread she felt more then saw, the one that connected her to her body…and found herself flying into a sitting position on her cot from the forward momentum, eyes snapping open.  
                A moment later, she heard footsteps down the long hall, and the sound of the door creaking open. The sounds got closer, and she huddled in on herself, holding her legs as she caught a flash of Shark Eyes’ cruel smirk before he moved past Tanya’s cell (“Filthy tramp.” “Bite me.” And then the familiar smell of burnt ozone that always seemed to come from their encounters), and the footsteps moved further away.  
                “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” And there was Alec, being a smart-ass again. Rose ran up to the window of her cell and peered out, catching White leaning against the wall, staring at Alec, who was standing at his window, looking for all the world like  _he_  was in charge.  
                “Nice to see you still have your smart mouth.” White gave him a cruel smile. “What about 105?”  
                “You touch her and I kill you.” Alec’s voice went icy, and it sent chills down Rose’s back. She briefly caught Tanya’s eyes; she was as unnerved as Rose was. White, however, just smiled. And he pressed the button. Rose couldn’t be sure, but it seemed to her that Alec didn’t start spazming as fast as he usually did…it was usually nigh instantaneous the flailing and jerking. And she got suspicious…  
                And it snapped together; amongst the healing bruises and the healed cuts, fresh blood was out of place ( _like something out of a slasher film_ ). Alec had dug the electrode out of his own neck with his  _bare hands_. She gave another shudder. He was  _faking_  it. To fool White.  
                “Can’t even take care of yourself, can you? How are you going to take care of her? You can’t stop me…” And then White/Shark Eyes was walking back towards her cell, and she dodged back from the cell door, pressing back against her cot, sparing a glance at the poor transgenic…  
                His eyes were in the cell window.  
                She felt her blood freeze (his  _thoughts_  were so full of  _hate_ and it almost—), and the cell door was open, and he was pushing past her, and heading for the now awake girl, who was curled in the corner, much as Alec had been, her hair on end, and her teeth bared. Alec seemed to  _know_  White was heading for her, because he was yelling, and Rose had been sure she knew curses, but some of the things Alec said and still saying (having quite possibly exhausted English, and it now sounded like Japanese or Korean) were making her blush.  
                It possibly made White’s grin more evil. And despite her valiant attempt to dart past him, she was weak, and obviously hurt, her throat only making choked noises since it had been screamed raw a few days before. White grabbed her by the back of her neck, forcing her into a bent position, before giving her a hard knee to the stomach. The sound she made was possibly the worst thing Rose had ever heard.  
                White actually  _laughed_. “Hurts?”  
                “White! Let go of her you slimy piece of shit! Don’t you  _fucking_  touch her!” There was a loud bang, and Rose  _felt_  the wall of the building they were in shake with the force of Alec’s body hitting the door. “ _Get away from her!_ ” There was another bang, and the wall shook, but with considerably less force. White just smiled, and gave Keegan another hard kick (she curled in on herself, trying to protect as much of her body from the blow as she could), and turned away, treating her like she was nothing, and giving Rose an almost afterthought of a shove back into the wall. Rose fell backwards, her knees giving out and letting her body fall to the ground, sobs starting to wrack her frame. “WHITE! I’ll _kill_  you!” Alec screamed.  
                “You can’t even save yourself.” White didn’t have to raise his voice. He just looked towards Alec’s cell, where the door was buckled outwards, still holding, and Alec was glaring.  
                “It’s  _really_  hard to believe that  _you_  were the fastest sperm!” Alec spat out. There was another bang, much quieter than the others, and White just laughed…and continued to close Rose’s cell and make his way out of the hall. The minute that White closed the door behind him, Alec’s mouth started up again, but Rose wasn’t expecting it to be directed at  _her_. “Is she ok?! What did he do to her?”  
                Rose was never so humiliated that she seemed to have lost her voice amid the tears and utter helplessness that she was currently downing in. And Alec was obviously not happy about it. “Damnit!” And there was a snarl that scared the shit outta her, but it didn’t completely cover the distinctive pained noise he made, which seemed to be equal parts physical and emotional.  
                She cried, and it hurt, but the entire cell block had gone eerily quiet…so she forced herself to go even quieter.   
                The emotional pain of failing hurt more.  
  
 **CRESTON  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 24th 2021**  
  
                “Do you ever say  _anything_?”   
                Dean smirked in the rearview mirror, and ducked his head down, just in case any of the three in the backseat happened to look up at him. From beside him, Sam covered his mouth, his shoulder’s trembling a little.   
                Leah had set herself to unraveling the mystery that was Castiel.  
                And, the angel was just raising his eyebrow, looking at Leah like she was a minor annoyance. “Yes.” And went back to staring out the window at the passing scenery. Leah stared at him, open mouthed, and for once, silent.  
                Dean  _so_  wanted to give Cas a high five for that one. Sadly, it was one of those actions that would totally make him lose  _any_  authority over either of the new additions to the car and most likely end in  _another_  dominance battle that Dean wasn’t ready to have, purely for the fact it would cost them time. Time they didn’t have…especially since they had managed to ‘misplace’ (Castiel’s word, not Dean’s), the old woman who apparently was the creator of the Universe. Dean thought that losing God was a rather big deal, especially a day after Cas found…It…but Castiel had just given him a rare half smile (it was rare that Cas’ expression ever changed from slightly melancholy) and just said something about ‘his mysterious ways’ which Dean had laughed off. But he secretly thought that…It had just gotten fed up with Leah’s rather annoying and repetitive questions.  
                Biggs gave a long sigh, and shifted in his sleep. Cas’ gaze shifted to him, before returning to the window.   
                Leah was able to remain silent for all of five minutes. “Ok, so you talk-”  
                “Perhaps it would be better if I met you at the Devil’s Gate?”   
                Dean had just enough time to register that was a question before there was the distinct sound of wings, and Leah panicking. “Where the fuck did he just go?! We’re in a moving _car_!”  
                It was very tempting to smash his face into the steering wheel, but Dean had the distinct impression that wouldn’t gain him bonus points either. “Sam, please, you handle her or I will, and my way involves a gag.”   
                Sam shot him a look of long suffering, and he turned in his seat, facing Leah, who was now poking at Biggs, attempting to wake him. He seemed completely out of it. “Leah, for the last time, he’s an  _angel_. He does all sorts of things considering he’s an immortal creature with far more supernatural abilities then even  _demons_.”  
                “Pssh. Demons aren’t real.” She had a look on her face that Dean would have  _loved_  to punch off. Seriously.  
                “And genetically engineered super-soldiers with feline DNA are just science fiction. Sammy, seriously, it was more fun when she was bugging Cas. I’m going to get the gag.”  
                Her eyes met his in the rearview mirror. “Try it, and I rip your balls off.”   
                Dean couldn’t help the wince (but he noticed Sam also gave a sympathetic one as well), and hastily avoided Leah’s gaze. “Hun, you couldn’t get close enough.” He was half sure he was going to have to give control of the wheel to Sam to prevent any accidents as Leah was  _certainly_  going to attempt to kill him over the seat. However, a quick glance in the rearview proved that Biggs was awake, and currently holding Leah to the seat, keeping her pinned with one leg stretched across her lap, and one hand on her shoulder. “I thought you were sleeping.”  
                Biggs gave him a sleepy smile. “Only so she wouldn’t bother  _me_.” And he gave Leah a hard look. “He’s driving. Jump him when he’s not controlling our fate. Better yet, how about  _after_  we rescue Alec? Eh?” He patted her shoulder, and let go, settling back against the door, and leaving his leg on her lap. “I’m goin’ back to sleep.”  
                Leah gave Dean a look that he  _knew_  was meant to put him six feet under (again…), but he just shrugged it off, smiling at her in his superior ‘I won and you didn’t’ way. Sam smacked him. “Ow, man!”  
                “Dean…did you think we might  _need_  Cas to break Alec and Keegan out of wherever they are?” He didn’t like the way Sam’s voice quavered a little, the way there was obvious worry coloring his brother’s tone.   
                Dean kept his eyes on the road, knowing, in his gut and heart, that he’d be feeling much more confident if it was his Baby’s dash he was peering over. “Sam, this isn’t supernatural, what’s holding them. It’s people, stupid, Nazi-like people. They just got good breeding. They’re no better than pedigree show dogs…we can take them. We just gotta think like Alec.”  
                “Or maybe…” Dean glanced at Sam, waiting for him to finish, but Sam (as he sometimes did), seemed very lost in his thoughts.  
                Which meant Dean had to prompt him. “…Or maybe what?”  
                “Or maybe we should go at this like Hunters…The Cult is used to military…they’ve got spies  _everywhere_ …but they sure as hell don’t have any among Hunters…and there has to be a reason Keegan hasn’t ported them out, or Alec hasn’t sabotaged their way free…” Sam finished.  
                He had a point. “Or they could be too hurt to do anything to get themselves out.” Dean said, playing Devil’s advocate. Sam gave him a look. “I know you don’t want to consider it…but I  _know_  what I felt.” Dean looked back up at the road, watching the horizon waver slightly in the distance. “And it wasn’t good.”  
 **  
BASE OF OPERATIONS  
OCTOBER 26th 2021**  
  
                “Ok, enough of your  _bullshit_.” Rose snapped her head up, and looked towards the door. The smell of ozone was overwhelming, and it scared her a little bit. “Rose, get your ass to the window  _now_. And, transgenic boy down the hall, you too!” She got the distinct impression that Tanya was pissed off about something.   
                “Easy, electric girl.” And obviously Alec wasn’t happy about being addressed as ‘transgenic boy’…not that there was much of the snarky sarcastic kid left. It seemed as Keegan (Rose made sure to remember her name) was getting weaker with every day; she had stopped making noise yesterday. Alec’s mood had soured with every decline in Keegan’s health.   
                “Tanya, what do you want?” Rose said, dragging her feet to the window. Tanya’s brown eyes were watching for her, and then narrowed, peering towards where Alec’s cell was.  
                “Yeah, it’s not like we have any place to go. Not like you should get antsy.” Alec’s yellow-green eyes appeared at the window to his cell. “What the hell do you want?”  
                “You got your chip out, right?” The slight widening of his eyes was the only thing that betrayed anything. In fact, Rose had a strong suspicion that, if the rest of his face was visible, it would show nothing. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m asking seriously, freak.”  
                “We prefer ‘genetically empowered’, inbred bitch.” He snarled.  
                The smell of ozone became stronger, and there was a surge in the electrical circuits, but Alec didn’t move. “If you still had the chip, you’d be getting electrocuted.” Tanya said, breathing heavy. “And don’t call me that. My name is Tanya.” There was a pause, where she was obviously waiting for Alec to speak. “And you are…”  
                “Just call me 494.” His voice was hallow and dead. Rose felt guilty, “Oh stop it! Damnit, you’re a fuckin’ kid! It’s not like I actually expected you to fight off White!” His eyes were on Rose, and they were cat-slit again (she didn’t know how she knew, but otherwise, they were far too yellow-green to be seen at this distance). “Stop blaming yourself. It’s my job to look after Keegan, not yours.”  
                Tanya just raised her eyebrows, looking between Alec and Rose. “Ok, I was going to say, both of you stop moping so we can get out of here, but you seem to be dead set on continuing this conversation.” Rose snapped her attention to Tanya, forcing it away from Alec. “Well, I got one of you…”  
                “Well, I’m all ears if you’ve figured out how to pick a lock that we can’t reach.” Alec’s eyes disappeared from the small window, presumably to settle back on his bed.   
                Tanya managed to look smug. “Rose can.” Immediately, Alec’s eyes were back in the window.  
                “Ghosts  _can_  affect the environment if they want… _Jesus Christ_  I am so  _stupid_.” There was a bang, and Rose strongly suspected that Alec had just whacked his head against the door. “Dean would  _kill_  me for being so stupid.” When his eyes came back to Rose, they were calculating, and not so hostile. “Rose, Electric Girl-”  
                “Tanya!” His eyes flicked back to Tanya’s cell before returning to Rose.  
                “Sorry,  _Tanya_  may have a point. We can get outta here…I just need you to listen to me, and follow my instructions…”  
  
 **BASE OF OPERATIONS**  
 **OCTOBER 27th 2021**  
  
                “I want to know why I can’t get a simple status report when I ask for it.” White snarled, storming into the command center. All around him, lower Cult members scrambled to get out of his way, while the only person in charge, a young up-and-coming cult member from the East Coast Breeding Line, refused to meet his eyes. “I asked-”  
                “Sir, we lost all cameras in the halls. All we have left is the ones in the cell-”  
                “I want it on the main screen.” White turned his attention to the screen, his attention on the long row of cells, most containing prisoners of their cult, but a few of them contained their latest (hopeful) additions to their breeding lines, and their biggest catch yet, X5R-105, and White’s personal favorite, 494. 105 was on death row, even the genetic splicing that his father had done hadn’t protected her against physical trauma, including his personal touch, aborting the abomination that was inside her.  
                But, on the screen, there was a distinct issue with those cells: There was someone out of theirs. One of their first pickups (Rose Holt, telepathy), was  _walking_  down the hall. Which was impossible as her  _cell door was still shut_.  
                And then she stuck her arm  _through_  the lock on 494’s cell, and the transgenic burst through the door, sending it slamming into the far wall. A moment later,  _he_  was working on the main lock at the end of the hall, and, glancing up at the security camera, gave a wave, and a smirk, before the power cut out.  
                White cursed, and punched the console, leaving sparking wires in his wake. “Sound the alarm! They’re escaping!” In the back of his head, he knew, they were getting out. And there wasn’t a single thing they could do…  
                “Sir! We’ve got movement on the perimeter! A car pulled up, but we can’t find the occupants…”  
                …especially since their backup had arrived.


	20. Chapter 20

**ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 27th, 2021**  
  
                Dean was  _sure_  they had the right place, especially when several armed men came out to inspect their car not ten minutes after they had abandoned it on the main drive to the supposedly abandoned mental hospital on the outskirts of a rather dismal post-Pulse Wyoming city. He had honestly lost track of the towns they had passed, even the highway they took, just following the instinct that told him his  _family_  was in serious shit.  
                And that was when the explosions started inside. Biggs gave a long, almost sad sigh, and shook his head. “Alec definitely started the party without us.” Beside him, Leah was absolutely  _itching_  to go inside, her fingers clenching around the butt of her gun and her eyes on the four story building.   
                Dean rolled his eyes. “We sure it’s him?”  
                Biggs gave him a look, “He was my CO. I know his style. This is his way of subtle.”  
                “Gee, I wonder where he got that from.” Sam said, giving a pointed look towards Dean, who just tossed him another .45 and squared his shoulders.  
                And that’s when  _it_  started.  
 _Left, keep running. Straight ahead, turn right, door to the corner, should have three cult guards--_  Dean felt his head spinning with the sudden onslaught of Alec’s thoughts—  
                And inside the complex, Alec (with an unconscious and wounded Keegan over one shoulder, and a tail of Ordinary kids with some rather freaky powers), fumbled the last killing shot that would have taken out the final guard in the room, allowing him a moment’s reprieve. However, Electric Girl ( _Tanya, damnit_ ), didn’t miss a beat, and was rushing forward, and placed her hand on the guard’s chest. He immediately went into convulsions before dropping to the ground, dying in a pool of his own excrement. Alec gave her a nod, and shifted Keegan on his shoulder. It almost felt like  _Dean_  was here—  
 _What the hell is going on in there?!_  
                Alec very nearly dropped Keegan. “Oh fuck me  _sideways_.” He groaned, flagging in the last of the hapless prisoners of the Cult. Tanya and Rose both shot him strange looks, but he ignored them, and closed his eyes, focusing in on his own mind…where it met Dean’s…  
 _This has got to be the freakiest thing I’ve ever done._  In his head, he was very clearly standing next to Dean (who had a peculiar glow to him that he was pretty sure hadn’t been there the last time he had seen his brother), but they were  _outside_  the complex, and apparently he wasn’t really there, since Sam chose that moment to walk  _through_  him. However, Dean heard him, and spun, but his body didn’t move.  _I reiterate, freakiest thing **ever**_.  
 _How the fuck are you doing this?_  Dean demanded, grabbing Alec by the shoulders and giving him a once over as he was dressing him down.   
                Alec wasn’t amused, especially since he had the distinct impression his physical injuries wouldn’t be shown in whatever he was right now. And very distantly, he heard someone call his name.  _Me? Dude, you totally distracted me from taking a shot. I’ve got civilians and non-combatants in there. Most of them female and under 18. I can’t be taking day trips into your head, I gotta get them out._  
                Dean raised his eyebrows.  _Can’t Keegan-_  he fell silent at Alec’s pained look.  _We’re coming in._  
 _They’ve got no communications and they’re blind. One of the civvies has a useful affinity with electricity, and another can do this whole spirit walking thing…They smell like Sam._  Alec hadn’t even realized that until that very moment. Apparently being in his own head was opening him up to his own subconscious thoughts.  
                Dean nodded.  _Give it a count of ten, and I want you to raise Hell. I assume you’re dragging Keegan-_  
                Alec’s eyes narrowed.  _I’m not leaving her defenseless._  
 _If you want to save her life, you certainly are. Leave her with the one who makes the electricity, with a good amount of the civvies. Have them barricade themselves not too far from you…but I know you’re one hellcat when you want to be. We need you fighting, Alec, not defending._  Dean said, trying to keep his patience.  
                And Dean knew (he didn’t know how, maybe it was because they were in each other’s heads), but Alec picked up on the plan.  _Hunters, not military._  He nodded, and held up his almost see through hands,  _Count of ten, you better be in there, cause I’m not leaving these kids for long._  And he was gone.  
                That was when Dean realized Sam was shaking him, and none too gently at that. He blinked, and realized he had been staring with his eyes open. “Dude, my arm needs to stay attached for it to be any good.”  
                “Dean? What the hell just happened to you?” Sam demanded.   
                Dean shook his head. “Later. I told Alec we’d be coming in on a count of ten. We gotta move.”  
                Sam balked. “That’s insane! They’ve got security-”  
                “Alec says they took them down. They’re blind and deaf.” Biggs looked rather impressed. Heck, even Leah did too, though she didn’t seem to believe him. Dean didn’t really care, as long as she shot the right people. “He’s got civilians with him, and Keegan’s wounded bad.” He glanced at his watch. “We move, NOW.”  
                And move they did. Biggs and Leah fell in behind him easily, with Sam bringing up the rear in a spade formation—  
                Alec burst out from the guard room, and, after hearing Rose lock it behind him, leapt up, and pulled himself up to some of the exposed pipes, wrapping his legs around them as more Cult members ran through—  
                They hit the front door, and shots rang out, but they were blurring and there was no way that any of the defending guards could get a clear shot, especially not when Dean paused mid step, brought up his gun, and fired, taking out three Cult members with quick shots to the head—  
                He dropped, landing in the middle of the group that were heading towards the guard room, and in seconds had taken out two of their knees, snapped another one’s neck, and was currently choking out a fourth. Of the two on the floor, one of them was regaining his footing—damn fuckers and their inability to  _feel_ \-- and Alec snapped his gun up—  
                --and pulled the trigger. Sam didn’t even pause when a splatter of blood caught him across the cheek, he was already moving forward, picking up the guns of the guards they had taken down, dropping to avoid a shot that Biggs had aimed at another Cultist coming up behind him—  
                --but Alec was ready for him, and let him get his arms around him, just so he could spin, and head-butt the man squarely in the face. He didn’t react to the pain, but his eyes watered, and the moment it gave him allowed Alec to grip his head with both hands and  _rip_  it sideways—  
                The sound of bones snapping was lost amongst the blood rushing in Dean’s ears as he moved from the first hall into the second, just  _knowing_  where Alec was, and following some strange string almost that was leading him towards the stairwell, Alec was  _up_ , but he was moving towards them  _fast_ …  
                …And Alec knew he had to slow down, because he could  _feel_  his  _pack_. Not Dean and Sam, he was part of  _Dean’s_  pack…but this was…he could feel his  _own_  pack moving towards him, and that thought gave him a surge of strength that surprised even him as he barreled into one of the transgenic-proof doors (locked), and knocked it clear into the other side of the hall, scaring the guards who had thought they had at least another—  
                --Minute to live, but Leah ended that silly notion with two quick tugs with her trigger finger as she cleared the room, letting Biggs cover her back as the Brothers Winchester tore down the hall, leaving a wake of unconscious or dead bodies. Once that room was done, she and Biggs were back in the hall, following the brothers, and clearing the next—  
                --Room, where Alec froze in his tracks. Standing directly in front of him, amidst the dark computer screens, and scrambling guards, was Ames White. “494.” He said, covering the shock at seeing the bloody transgenic with a sneer. Alec snarled, and darted—  
                --Forward into the stairwell, motioning to Sam, Biggs and Leah to press themselves against the railing as gunfire exploded from above them. Dean glared at his empty gun, “I’m out! Who’s-”  
                Not even needing to finish the question, before Biggs was moving up the line, with a  _rifle_ in hand of all things, and taking aim at one of the guards. Dean watched with approval as Biggs’ obvious sniper training, and cool head, allowed him to take out each of the guards raining the bullets down on him. And then pain exploded in his side, and Dean fell, hand going to his ribs. When he brought it up, he half expected to see—  
                --Blood. Alec was bleeding. He stared in shock at the dark red staining his hand, touching his side again briefly, eyes flicking around (guard, behind him, gun still smoking), when another sharp pain ripped through his right shoulder. Alec stumbled, losing his grip on White’s throat, and starting to fall sideways. More stinging, sharp pains were filtering through (he must have been shot four times, and only registered it at the third), and he looked back at White…who was smiling—  
                “Dean!” Sam’s voice was calling to him, and Dean blinked, the vision of White fading from his eyes, and yanked himself upwards, not speaking, not needing to. He tore up the stairs, Sam, Biggs and Leah exchanging worried glances behind him, but following none the less. He tore down the halls, pausing only to register that the bodies in the hall were not Alec, and not allowing himself to be horrified at the devastation there.  
                Behind him, he heard Leah curse, and Biggs say something, but he was listening—  
                Gunfire.  
                --Alec was in pain…he couldn’t see straight kind of pain. He tried to pull himself out of the line of fire, but was rewarded with another burst of pain, this time from his leg. They had already shot him there; White was digging a finger in the bullet hole, and Alec kicked out at him, knowing he was ripping the wound open more, but he was going to take the bastard out if it was the last thing he did.  
                Which it was looking more and more like. “Get him again.” This time there was that  _lovely_ pain in his left shoulder, and he glanced down to see the wound still smoking. The bullet had probably lodged itself in his shoulder. He couldn’t help the pained noise that escaped his lips. “Ah…not so superior now.” White was grinning at him.  
                Alec spit in his face, a little surprised to see how red his saliva was ( _you had three shots to the chest, you’re bleeding internally dumbass_ ), and forced himself to smile at White. “Still better.” White backhanded him, and there was a whole new reason for blood in his mouth as his cheek split against his teeth. His tongue examined the damage, and Alec schooled himself into a pained expression. In reality, he was examining his teeth, which had become much longer and sharper then he remembered.  _That_  was new…but also rather useful. Considering the guns he had scavenged from his kills were back in the hands of people wanting to kill him…it was better to have  _any_  weapons. Especially since he couldn’t get to his knife…  
                And then the door burst open a second time.  
                White had just enough time to look up from his crouch, in shock, and Alec moved, lightening quick despite the grave wounds he now carried. In a flash, he was at White’s throat, and wrapping his hands around that man’s smaller neck, snarling in his face.  
                “Shit!” That was  _Sam_  but the scent that was nearest was  _Dean_ , and Alec risked a glance away to see Dean grabbing White by the back of his clothes, hauling him and Alec up while Biggs, Sam and Leah took out the rest of the room.  
                “Show me what he did to Keegan.” It wasn’t a question, and Alec really didn’t want those images in  _anyone’s_  head, but he locked eyes with Dean, and  _remembered_. With a snarl, suddenly White was ripped from him, and thrown against the wall. “You  _parasite_.” White was turning blue.  
                “Dean.” Alec was not happy with how weak his voice was, but he ignored it, and pulled himself up again, ignoring the pain in his leg, and tried to stand upright. Dean glanced at him, not moving his arm from White’s windpipe. “I need to do this.”  
                Dean locked eyes with him…and after a long moment, nodded his head. Alec forced his body to ignore the pain, and reached into the waist band of his pants (they had been stupid not to pat him down for weapons), and moved towards White.  
                He was pleased to see real fear in the man’s eyes. “This is for my mate.” He leaned in closer. “And my child.” And with all the force he could muster, drove the knife into White’s gut…not once, not twice, but until the man’s gut was more shredded flesh then skin, and White’s eyes finally lost the light of life. Somewhere along the line, he had started crying, and someone was holding him up, even as the last stroke hit White’s spine and lodged the knife. He couldn’t wrench it free. He couldn’t even see…he could barely breathe; he probably dropped a lung—  
                And Dean suddenly found himself with an unconscious Alec, deadweight in his arms. He looked up, seeing Sam, Biggs and Leah staring at White with identical looks of complete horror, “Yo! Dying brother here!” Sam reacted first, darting forward, with Biggs in a close second, helping Dean lower Alec to the floor.  
                “Jesus Christ…”  
                “I really hope that’s in reference to the five fucking bullets in him and not White.” Dean snarled at Leah, glaring up at her. She (for possibly the first time in her life), fell silent. “Go find the civilians. Keegan probably needs immediate medical attention too. When you see her, you’ll understand  _this_.” He waved a hand in the general direction of White’s corpse, still pinned to the wall by the knife through the spine. Leah darted off, and Dean turned his attention back to Alec, who was being given CPR by Biggs. “His heart stopped?”  
                Biggs just shot him a look, and continued counting to himself, before leaning over and pinching Alec’s nose closed, and breathing for him.   
                Sam had one hand on Alec’s wrist, obviously checking for a pulse. “Yes, Dean, his heart stopped. Alec shouldn’t have been able to do  _that_ ; aside from the bullets, he’s also been obviously tortured, and currently has only one working lung.” Sam looked worried. “We need to get him to a hospital.”  
                “We have med training-” Panic was rising up in Dean.  
                “Dean, he’s not going to make it.” That was from Biggs, who was wiping blood from his mouth, not pausing in his attempts to resuscitate Alec. “I can only do this so long. We need to get him-”  
                That was when Dean lost control of his body.   
                He felt like he was being pushed back, but it wasn’t a mean push, just a hurried one. “Move.” It was his voice, but it wasn’t him speaking. He watched through his eyes as his body moved back towards Alec, placing one hand over Alec’s un-beating heart. “Beat.” It was a command, and almost instantly, he felt the weak throb of a heart beat under his palm. Sam jerked his head up, and Biggs stared at him, backing up. The beats grew stronger with each passing moment. “Breathe.” He didn’t know how he knew, but somehow  _both_  lungs were suddenly working, and Alec gave a shuddering breath in. “ _Live_ ” The word was said with such command that Dean  _knew_  it wasn’t him saying it, but there was a blast of white light from his palm, and then Dean was back in the driver’s seat, and Alec was opening his eyes, gasping in something like pain, but (and Dean wasn’t sure exactly how), he was alright. Sam tugged down Alec’s ruined shirt, exposing his bullet ridden chest…only to find wounds that looked like they had been healing for days. Obviously, he was still injured, but…  
                “What the  _fuck_  was that?” Biggs yelped, backing away from Dean.  
                “I…” Dean stared at Alec, who was blinking rather sleepily at him, and then at his own hands. “I…I don’t know. I didn’t do it.” He looked at Sam, putting all the meaning he could into it, and Sam seemed to get it. In fact, he reached into a pocket and a second later, Dean was sputtering as a large amount of water hit him in the face. “Dude! I’m not possessed! At least not right now…” He looked towards Alec, then at Biggs and Sam. “Did my eyes change?”  
                “Only in the way they were the brightest fucking blue I’ve ever seen!” Biggs yelped again. Dean half wondered if his voice would ever go back to its original baritone; the yelping was getting to him.  
                “His eyes are green.” Sam said, gently helping Alec to a sitting position. “Let’s get everyone out of here…we’ll figure it out later…”  
                They met Leah in the hall; she was carrying Keegan, who looked far worse in person then in the remembering that Dean had seen, and she was leading a bunch of kids…mostly teens, some in their early twenties. Most were girls, but there were a few boys too…and one of them walked right up to Dean, and glanced between him and Alec with complete fascination.  
                Dean really wasn’t in the mood. “You want something, kid?”  
                She easily held her ground. “Are you Dean Winchester?” Dean glanced at Sam, and tugged Alec’s arm back over his shoulder where it was sliding down. Sam nodded, obviously too tired and confused to figure out a good lie. So Dean just nodded. “I don’t know if you remember me…I’m Rose Holt. You saved me from a nursery fire, and my mom from a man with yellow eyes.”  
                Dean and Sam both froze.  
                “Oh my-”              
                “—fucking god.”  
 **  
TERMINAL CITY  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 28th 2021**  
  
                “Max! Get to command now!” Dix yelled over the radio, and Max needed no further prompting as she nodded to Gem and Ellen and ran out of the TC diner towards Command. She made it there in under a minute, blurring the entire way, and was greeted instantly by Lydecker and Mole, standing by the door, Deck handing her a file the minute she stopped.  
                “At 0400 this morning a 911 call came in from an anonymous source claiming they had heard explosions. When the cops got to the site—in Rock Springs, Wyoming—they found a war zone. And, get this, they found former NSA Agent Ames White torn to shreds with a knife imbedded in his spine, pinning him to the wall.” Lydecker’s face quirked in what Max almost thought was a smile. “I wanted to know if you wanted me to see if I could get some of my guys in there-”  
                “Yes! And some of ours too.” Max was flipping through the pages, reading at lightning speed. Nearly all of the guards were found dead or unconscious, and all the supposed ‘patients’ were gone…though the police and the paramedics were quick to notice that the rooms were actually cells. “You think this was one of the Cult prisons?”  
                “Actually, I think you should hear this.” Mole waved her up towards Dix, who was holding out a pair of headphones from the observation deck of command. And the file was back in Deck’s hands and up the stairs, headphones on her head before Deck realized he was standing by himself.  
                Dix hit a button on the computer:  _“911 please state your emergency.  
                “I…er…We heard a noise, and didn’t think much of it…but there’s smoke coming from down the road.”  
                “Alright, sir, we’ll be sending help in just a moment. Where are you located?”  
                “Just off county road 211. It’s a mental hospital-”  
                “Dude, it’s so  **not**  a mental hospital!”  
                “Shut up! It’s the abandoned  **mental hospital**  down the road.”  
                “Is anyone hurt?”              
                “…I have no idea. I would assume yes, since there’s smoke and we heard a fucking explosion-”  
                “And your name, sir?”  
                “Of course. My name is-” _click.  
                The female operator tried a few more times, then dispatched the appropriate response teams, but Max was already not listening. “That sounded like Alec.”  
                Dix made a noise that was quite possibly muffled laughter, and Max arched an eyebrow. Dix quickly composed himself. “The man who made the call matches previous 911 calls made from the early 2000’s, which means it has to be Dean. I’m pretty confident the one who interrupted was Biggs.”  
                Max’s eyes widened. “So the Winchesters took out a Familiar base?”  
                “There was also two ER admissions to a local hospital matching Alec and X5R-105—Keegan—and they was in  _bad_  shape. But we haven’t been able to get any more on that, since apparently their family is there.” Dix swallowed hard. “Reports on admittance suggest they were tortured.”  
                Max felt herself slump into a seat, in awe, despite herself. “The Winchesters took out Ames White and a whole pack of his Cult buddies…” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I should be happy, or pissed that I didn’t get to do it myself.”  
                “Be happy.” Said Lydecker, coming up the stairs. “I was at that facility before they moved me to California. It was a major staffing section…they just took out most of the forces _you’d_  be fighting if it came to a full out war between TC and the Cult.”  
                Max sighed, and glanced again at the file in Deck’s hand. He held it out to her, and she took it, this time combing the papers much slower, taking in the information at a slower pace, to really absorb it. “I want our people there ASAP.” She glanced up at Lydecker. “And by our people, I do mean both.”  
                That time, there was no mistaking it. Lydecker actually  _smiled_. “Yes ma’am.”  
 **  
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT  
SAINT KATRINA’S HOSPITAL  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 28th 2021**  
  
                Sam peered into the small room in ICU, and sighed. Alec was still sitting by Keegan’s bed…where Sam had left him nearly four hours ago. “Didn’t you say you were going to go get some food?”  
                Alec didn’t turn. “Not hungry.”  
                Sam pushed the sliding door open just enough for him to get through, carefully opening the brown paper bag that he had gotten from the cafeteria. “Stop lying.” And paused. Alec didn’t even move, and he knew the hot meatball sub had to be wafting a scent that would be unbelievably enticing to the half-starved transgenic. “Alec, come on, you even told me White didn’t feed you guys.”  
                “Once. He fed me once.”  
                “And you were there twelve days. How are you not attacking me to devour this rather delicious sandwich that I had to bribe the cafeteria to make?” Sam waved the sandwich bag again, and Alec still made no move. “X5’s can only go 6 days without food and water.”  
                “True, but given water—which I was—we can survive for much longer. My personal best 18 days, 4 hours.”   
                Sam didn’t even want to touch that one. “Alec, she’s not going to get better because you’re staring at her.”  
                “You don’t know that.” His tone didn’t even change.   
                Sam suppressed a shudder. And then tried again. “Did you even listen to the doctors-”  
                “Why, yes, Sam! I did!” And Sam was blinking because Alec was suddenly very much in his face, and  _damn_  that kid could get scary. “Keegan was  _tortured_ , and by the looks of it, with an implanted shock chip at the base of her skull, as well as physical abuse, quite possibly sexual too, but don’t worry, because so far, it seems the bleeding was caused by the  _miscarriage_  that was induced from several hard kicks to her stomach! So, yeah, Sam, I was listening! She might never wake up! This is beyond what we were designed to take! I get that! Now, can you  _please_  leave me alone?” Alec spun, and Sam caught the tiniest tremble in his hand before he was rushing forward and catching his little brother.  
                “Damnit, Alec! When she wakes up, she’s not gonna want to be taking care of  _you_!” Alec weakly flipped him off, but Sam ignored it, and just carefully lowered him onto the thankfully unoccupied bed next to Keegan’s. “We almost lost you there too. If it wasn’t for Dean, you  _would_  be dead. The doctors said  _you_  had to stay in bed too.”  
                “Then they should have put me on the same floor.” Already, he was struggling to sit up.  
                Sam put a hand on his chest and forced him back down. “Don’t make me rat you out to the nurses. They’ll stick another IV in you.”   
                Alec gave him a look of the utmost loathing. “Like I’m not trained in enough field med to take one of those out? Or did you forget that I did that to the last three?” He shook his head. “I’m not leaving until she opens her eyes. Till she finally-” His voice broke, “wakes up. I need to be with her.” He looked back up at Sam, and for one long moment, it was as if he was looking at Dean; broken, horrified at what he had done in Hell, tortured by what he had done to survive, tears streaming down his face, “I failed.”  
                Sam was almost at a loss for words. “Alec, you couldn’t have done-”  
                “I should have avoided the damned missile!” His voice was filled with the same self-loathing that Dean had. Apparently, it was genetic.  
                Sam raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the thing with missiles? They can be fired from anywhere and hit nearly anything. You’re not omniscient.”  
                Alec looked away. “I should have protected her from White. I should have protected both of them from White…”  
                Sam watched Alec as he pulled his knees up to his chest, and just stared at the wall in front of him. And then, in a moment of inspiration (he would have  _never_  tried this with Dean), wrapped his arms around the smaller transgenic. He half expected Alec to react the same as Dean; a shove away, possibly some cursing, but he just tensed…and then the floodgates opened.  
                Sam  _felt_  as Alec’s walls dropped, the complete wellspring of his emotions being projected out, as the man himself went limp, leaning against Sam, fully in the embrace and  _crying_ , letting himself be held, and letting everything go.  
                Sam fought to keep himself from breaking into tears himself (and it took everything he had not to, Alec was one  _hell_  of an empath), but he held on. He had to. Here was someone who had a worse childhood then even  _they_  had…more warped training then anything…he needed to let all of this out. “Shh…it’s ok, Alec. Just let it out…” He murmured, running a hand through Alec’s matted hair. Alec just sobbed harder, one hand closing on Sam’s sleeve (still stained with blood), but not letting him leave. “Alec, we’re here, it’s all right…”  
                “Sir?” He glanced up at the nurse who had walked in, presumably to check Keegan’s vitals, and gave her a forced smile.  
 _She’s his girlfriend._  He mouthed to her. Her eyes widened at that, and then her entire demeanor shifted.  
                “Oh!” She held up one hand, and hurried out of the room. Sam went back to stroking Alec’s hair, the other making small circles on his back. By the sound of Alec’s voice, he had never  _cried_  before…not like this.  
                Then the nurse was back…and with Alec’s chart too. She affixed it to the end of the bed that Alec was currently occupying and gave Sam a wink, mouthing  _I pulled a few strings,_ and giving him a sad smile. Sam mirrored the gesture, mouthing a quick thanks before going back to Alec.  
                Ten minutes later, Sam’s back was starting to hurt, and, as he shifted to adjust his grip on Alec, he realized his little brother had fallen asleep.  _He actually cried himself to sleep…the poor kid…_  Sam carefully laid Alec back on the bed, carefully tucking him in, leaving his left arm above the covers, since he knew they were going to have to give him an IV if he kept refusing to eat. And pulling open the barely healed bullet wounds; Dean had done an amazing job…but that didn’t mean the apparently ‘days old’ tissue was as strong as regular, healthy skin…it was actually much,  _much_  weaker. Alec had already reopened two of the five bullet wounds. Sam wasn’t ready to risk him opening more, especially when it would be  _harder_  to keep him down.  
                With a sigh, Sam went to turn away and felt something catch his sleeve. He glanced down; Alec’s right hand had wound itself in the bloodstained material, holding him close to the bed.  
                There was a flash of emotion, it nearly knocked him over, the force. It was  ** _home-family_** , and it was  ** _safe-all-just-a-dream_** , and it felt like how he’d imagine a child asking for comfort… Because, Sam realized, that’s what Alec was. Twenty-two years of life not-withstanding, his little brother had never been  _held_ ,  _comforted_ …  
                And realizing that Dean would probably mock him for the rest of his hopefully long life, Sam gave another sigh, and shifted Alec on the bed before pulling himself awkwardly next to him. He wasn’t expecting the immediate glomp from Alec’s prone form, the arm previously gripping his sleeve switching to twining itself around Sam’s, and a leg trapping one of Sam’s as well.  
                Sam smiled to himself, tilting his head back on the pillow.  _…Kinda makes me wonder…is cuddling genetic…_  was his last thought before he drifted off into something very close to sleep.

**LOBBY  
SAINT KATRINA’S HOSPITAL  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 28th 2021**  
  
                “Wait, wait, wait, repeat that again, slower, and in plain, boring, American, ok?” Dean resisted the urge to slap Biggs, not because the doctor wasn’t being a pretentious ass (that was  _very_  true), but because, honestly, by this point, Dean probably had the guy’s speech  _memorized_.  
                “Hey, Biggs, man, over here.” Biggs paused, glancing at Dean, before waving off the doctor in a motion that looked like he was one of those privileged people they ran into that one time Sam got himself a  _decent_  chick…oh, and there had been that haunted picture of the murdering little girl too. The minute that he was within grabbing distance, Dean fully released the transgenic speed, and grabbed Biggs by the collar, forcing him into an awkward bow. “What he’s saying is not going to change just because you don’t like what you’re hearing.”  
                Biggs’ eyes widened a little. “But—“  
                Dean gave a tug on his shirt, and Biggs almost reached out to balance himself…almost. “I don’t care if she was your unit-mate once upon a Manticore. That’s my  _sister_  in there. And if  _I_  can sit out here, and wait patiently for  _new_  updates, then the  _least_  you can do is not annoy me to the point of wanting to cause you physical harm.”  
                Biggs blinked. “So, sit down and shut up.”  
                Dean smiled…and it wasn’t a very nice smile. “Yahtzee.” He released Biggs’ shirt. And, he had to give the guy credit, Biggs managed to make it look like he had  _meant_  for the entire thing to happen. A nagging suspicion tugged at him… “Did anyone ever tell you, you act gay?”  
                One eyebrow cocked, Biggs just snorted. “Why? You interested?” At Dean’s rather amusingly horrified expression, Biggs’ own shifted…to something almost like curiosity. “Ok…I will admit, never got  _that_  reaction before.”  
                “Dude, stay over there.” Biggs ignored him and sat in the plastic chair next to Dean, and Dean had the sneakiest suspicion he had just become the newest entertainment for Alec’s pack-mate.  
                The grin Biggs was giving him was lending serious credence to that theory. “Am I seriously creeping you out?”  
                “I’m not homophobic.” Somehow, that didn’t come out as manly as it had sounded in his head.  
                Biggs gave him a look. “O…kay. You do know that all of the X5s were programmed to be bisexual right?”  
                “I don’t know what Sam told you about that night, but I seriously remember  _none_  of it, so this fucking bisexual bullshit needs to stop.” Dean said, standing, and probably alarming the few others occupying the room with them.   
                Biggs gave them a cursory glance, and then looked back at Dean, a truly predatory smile on his face. “You know I’m serious. Apparently, it’s a good idea to have soldiers who can play for either team, depending on the mark…” He trailed a hand up Dean’s arm, and was rather surprised at the shudder-yank that the other man pulled, getting his arm out of his grip. And the hair on the back of his neck ( _barcode’s showing…should let that grow out more_ ) was standing straight up. “But…that doesn’t freak you-”  
                “Dude, seriously, stop.” Dean had managed to jump over a row of the plastic chairs, and Biggs couldn’t take it anymore; he bent double, laughing. “What?” Dean’s expression went from alarmed to confused, which set Biggs laughing harder.  
                “You!” He gasped a few times, trying to stop laughing. “Homophobe my ass. You probably  _weren’t_. But,” Biggs continued in all seriousness, “Manticore fucked with us on _all_  levels. Check the files, it’s in there. I think you’re freaking cause there’s a reaction; you’re pre-Pulse mind can’t rationalize it with the absolute comfort you had in your sexuality before.” Biggs fell silent. “If it makes you feel any better, Alec and my first mission…well…we were…” He coughed.  
                Dean raised his eyebrows, still keeping the plastic chairs between himself and Biggs, purely because he didn’t feel like moving. Of course. “Wait…”  
                But Biggs was smiling, and looking towards the hall. “Sam!” Dean turned, and, as he did, he felt Biggs brush past him. “For the record, Manticore made me bi, but my  _girlfriend_  is most certainly a chick.” And winked. Dean resisted the urge to punch him…because _damn_  he reminded him of Alec…the Alec Dean had met when they had first shown up at Terminal City.  
                And Dean really hated how apparently all of Alec’s unit had the same tendency to just _love_  fucking with him.  
                “Hey,” Said Sam, interrupting Dean’s plot to totally humiliate Biggs, hopefully with many male strippers and preferably in front of his girlfriend, and Dean snapped his attention back up to Sam. “So, Alec’s been found.”  
                “Two guesses.” Biggs deadpanned to Dean, who rolled his eyes.   
                Sam shot him a slightly annoyed look, and Dean felt he may have an ally in the ‘humiliate Biggs’ agenda. “He was by Keegan’s bed in the ICU. He’s fine, they’re putting him on an IV because he  _still_  is refusing to eat, but aside from that, he’s healing fine.”  
                Dean nodded. “So realistically, we can count on him for the cemetery. Sam, you’re shaking your head,  _why_  are you shaking your head?” Even Biggs stepped closer.   
                “Dean, have you actually listened to what’s wrong with Keegan?” Sam sounded like he was trying to keep his temper down.  
                Dean shrugged. “I kinda waited till they got to the part, ‘but, she’s doing-’”  
                Sam sighed. “She’s  _not_. I’ve personally given two donations for immediate transfusions for her, and she’s not improving.” Seeing Dean open his mouth to argue, Sam held up a hand. “ _Dean_ , listen.”  
                And miraculously, Dean fell silent. “Keegan was tortured. More brutally then Alec, probably because she’s…well, a girl. They beat her within an inch of her life…they found _lash_  marks…which apparently proves that forty lashes won’t kill a transgenic, though it will kill a normal human. She had an electrode surgically implanted near her brain stem, and was subjected to more amps then they care to speculate. To add to that, she was nearly starved,” He paused, his voice shaking.   
                And, of course, Dean (and Biggs) both seized the chance to start talking.  
                “But she’s-”  
                “105 is a transgenic!”  
                “She’ll heal, right? That’s…she’s had worse…” Dean knew he was grasping when Sam looked up at him, and tears slid down his face. “Come on, Sammy, tell me she’s gonna pull through this.”  
                “She should.” Biggs said, sounding affronted. “I’ve been on missions with her…she’s been tortured before, and obviously still here.”  
                Sam closed his eyes, like he didn’t want to look at them when he said, “She was pregnant.” Dean couldn’t find any words. He just stared, openmouthed, at Sam…noting that, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Biggs doing similar. Sam took another shuddering breath. “Alec…let it slip. He didn’t know…White must have run tests on them…found out…he didn’t think  _Keegan_  knew…” His voice choked.   
                “I’m gonna kill him.” Dean didn’t remember sitting down, but now he was standing, and heading towards the ICU; but then Biggs was there, blocking him. “He knocked up our sister!”  
                “Dean, mates, Heat. Biological imperative. Grow up.” Dean was momentarily thrown off by the lack of height that he expected…but apparently Biggs had adopted Sam’s side of the argument too.  
                “They should have been more—I dunno!” Dean snapped his fingers. “Condoms, anyone?”  
                “I don’t think it’s an issue anymore.” Dean spun, looking back at Sam, who’s voice had gone cold, dead. “White made sure that whatever niece or nephew we were gonna have will never see the light of day. He kicked her in the stomach, reports said at least three times, broke two ribs, nearly tore her uterus.” Dean blanched. “She’s not expected to wake up. They can’t even operate to fix her until she’s more stable. I think White had the final say in this one.” Sam looked grim.  
                “He…” Dean looked everywhere but at Sam. “Is Alec ok?”  
                Sam gave him another look. “The doctors said-”  
                “Not what I meant, Sam. Don’t be a bitch cause I deflected, ok? Is Alec ok?”  
                Sam shook his head. “I doubt he’ll leave her side, even to save the world. And…I don’t think we can ask him.”  
                “I’m tempted to stay myself.” Dean admitted, running his hands through his hair.            
                “You’re wrong.” Dean nearly started…he had almost forgotten about Biggs standing behind them. But Biggs was looking at them with something akin to pity. “I mean, you’re kinda right…Alec won’t leave her bedside…but he also won’t…deal with this.” He shuffled, obviously searching for the words. “He’ll hide. He’ll block off his emotions…be the soldier we all feared and admired…and then you’ll have to pick up the pieces…”  
                “What the fuck does that mean?!”  
                Biggs didn’t seem impressed by Dean’s hands in his lapels, and just continued to look between the brothers, slightly sad. “We were taught by Manticore how to be sociopaths…how to block out emotions…perfectly integrated killer that can feel and be _normal_ , but then, a switch, and they’re the emotionless predator is there. He did it after Berrisford…he’ll do it now.” Biggs stared Dean in the eye, but there was no feral challenge to it…just desperate to make him understand. “If you force him to fight and leave her, you won’t be bringing your little brother out on the battle field…you’ll be bringing X5R-494, the top Manticore operative till it’s fall, most decorated, and most punished officer.” He gave a little shudder. “And when he finally has to deal with reality…come out from behind that shell…he’s going to be nothing, broken, hallow. He was that way just falling in puppy love with an Ordinary…how do you think it’s gonna be if he loses his  _mate_?”  
                And thus, Dean was left to some hard thoughts, only half listening to the newly turned conversation, coincidentally about Biggs and Alec’s missions. Sam always loved those ‘so how did you two meet’ stories…he had other things to think about.  
                “Seriously? Male strippers?” Sam laughed. Dean glanced over just in time to see Biggs shrug, blushing slightly but apparently determined to pretend it was nothing. “And you were, what, 16?”  
                Biggs was blushing harder, “18, man! And it was the only variable in staff to get in!”  
                Dean didn’t even find the thought that his clone had to go undercover as a  _stripper_  as funny as he should. Especially since he was now weighing the cost of his little brother versus another fucking apocalypse. Every time he tried to change things, make it so his family lived…countless innocents died. So did he sacrifice his brother’s sanity to have a constant on the battlefield? A constant that might not even be the same one he was used to? The way Biggs made such a clear distinction between 494 and Alec…  
                It came down to one thing: Was the world (who hated and despised all that Alec was), deserve to be saved if the cost was that high?  
                :: _The choice isn’t yours._ :: Dean spun, looking for the source of the voice, but Sam and Biggs were still deep in conversation, obviously attempting to block out the very bad news they had just suffered through, and no one else was close enough…:: _I do have a plan…just because you can’t see my endgame…_ ::  
 _Great, I’ve got the fucking holy channel broadcasting in my head._  
                :: _Most would consider that lucky._ :: What was ultimately pissing him off was that the voice…it was just that. A voice. Not his voice, not male, not female…just sound and words.  
 _Yeah, well, why does your endgame always seem to screw up my family? Do us all a favor, just wipe us all out now, one shot, so we can stop being in constant mourning._.  
                :: _…Like I said. You don’t know the endgame. Alec needs to be there…it’s his fate, one way or the other._ :: and the voice was just gone, and Dean was happy to be back in his own head, alone. But now more disturbed than ever. “You guys are fucking nuts.” He whispered, glancing up. “After this is over, you  _so_  fucking owe me. Especially if you’re taking Keegan and Alec from me.”  
 **  
SECTOR 2  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 29th, 2021**  
  
                “They’re home!” Sarah, a girl that looked  _younger_  then Rose, squealed from her perch on the window sill. With a long suffering sigh, Leah reached up from her spot on the couch, and yanked the girl down by the hem of her shirt. “Hey!”  
                “We’re in hiding. Stop making yourself a target.” Leah said, not looking up from her book.  
                Sarah, however, looked like she was about to burst into tears. Leah rolled her eyes, wracking her brains for how to  _deal_  with—  
                “Hey, Sarah, it’ll be ok. Leah’s just worried for you. She didn’t mean to scare you.” Tanya said, pulling Sarah to her in a hug and simultaneously shooting Leah a warning glare over the girl’s small shoulders. Leah took the unspoken advice…and gave a small smile. She liked Tanya.  
                However, her spoken thanks were interrupted by the sound of a key in the lock, and then the scent of Dean as the door swung inwards. Leah focused on the entry way, hand sliding to her hidden pistol just in case…but then he stepped in, shrugging off the leather jacket, and she eased her hand away. “How are they doing?” She couldn’t help herself, she had to ask. A moment later, the door shut, and Biggs joined him in the entry way.  
                And it was Biggs who answered. “Sam’s staying with them. Keegan’s…” He glanced at Dean, who was still resolutely adjusting his jacket on the nail in the wall they used as a coat rack, but Dean said nothing, didn’t even look towards him. “Keegan’s not doing well. And Alec isn’t taking it…” He trailed off, but Leah didn’t need him to finish.  
                X5R-494’s unit hadn’t been the only ones to notice, and mourn, the loss of his emotions after the Berrisford Incident. The X5s in general were closer than anyone at Manticore could have imagined; while it  _was_  true that there were two schools of thought on the matter, Leah had  _always_  had the utmost respect for Lieutenant 494.  
                Glancing at Dean’s face, though, she found that, currently, she was more worried about the (possibly delusional) transgenic in front of her. Dean was  _still_  hanging up his jacket.  
                Biggs cleared his throat, and she looked at him. By his pointed glare, she realized…she had been staring. “So…how many of the kids were local?”  
                Leah  _really_  didn’t want to change the subject, but there was no mistaking the look in Biggs’ eyes. “Two. But, we got five whose parents drove non-stop to get here; a few of them gave us some cash too. Don’t worry, I tried to give it back. And they cleared out about an hour ago. Everyone else should be here in a day…but we haven’t been able to get a hold of the Holts. It’s possible they’re out looking for her…” She trailed off. Dean had finally moved…he was now staring at the wall rather than his jacket. “Biggs, go look after the kids. I promise I won’t pick a fight.”  
                Biggs laughed. “I doubt that.” Leah shot him a look. “Fine, but when he kicks your curvaceous ass don’t come crawling to me.”  
                “I’m telling Keema you said that.”   
                Biggs didn’t look too frightened, he just shook his head and laughed, before walking into the living room of the abandoned condo and yelling, “Who wants dinner?”  
                The sound of fourteen scrambling legs, and Tanya’s slight limp (she had twisted her ankle at some point in the escape, and said nothing, another reason why Leah liked her) followed Biggs’ footsteps into the kitchen.  
                Dean still hadn’t moved.  
                “Are you going to emotionally break down  _now_?” She asked in the most condescending tone she could muster. There was a flash in his eyes, and she  _knew_  she was on the right track. Dean was going to get lost in his head; this war was getting to him. Time to snap him out. “Seriously? When we’ve got less than two days till some great big unknown happens, we still don’t know how to stop whatever it is from happening, and you’re just gonna  _cry_  about it?”  
                With a snarl, he was at her throat, pushing her against the wall with a force that made the entire condo shake. “ _You_  lose everyone you  _love_  and see how much  _you_  wanna save the world!” He hissed, far too close, and Leah was a little frightened. He was definitely an Alpha…  
                “Everything all right out there?” Biggs called from the kitchen.  
                Leah held Dean’s stare (she would  _not_  back down from this), and called back, “Yeah, fine!” Biggs made a noise of disbelief, but his voice faded back into the din of the kitchen, and all that was left was the pulse pounding in her ears, the panting of their breath…and something she strongly suspected was the beating of their hearts. “As far as I know, they’re not dead yet.”  
                His grip at the base of her throat tightened, and she started to feel the pressure impeding her ability to breathe. “You cold, emotionless bitch-”  
                “I don’t mourn people when there’s still a chance to save them!” She snarled back. “But you’re acting like you already gave up; if God really exists, and he did all this to get  _us specifically_  here, you think he’s going to let them  _die_? You’re freaking out just because you can’t see his endgame!” Something flicked in Dean’s eyes, and Leah suddenly realized how  _warm_  it was in…  
                Dean’s pupil’s dilated. “Oh fuck you! Like you give a damn!”  
                “You never leave your unit behind!” She snarled back, pushing back against his hand, getting back into  _his_  face. And Dean blinked again. She stared him down.  
                It was like a switch flipped. Dean growled, low in his throat. “Don’t. You. Challenge. Me.” He bit out, the pressure on her chest increasing. Leah felt the most unusual sensation…she  _wanted_  to submit, to fall in… She didn’t realize she was actually tilting her head back, literally  _showing throat_  until she felt warm breath on her neck; Dean was  _smelling_  her…and it was so fucking  _warm_ … “Are you-”  
                Leah didn’t let him pull away, “Don’t care.” And the next instant, she was meeting him in a passionate, but brutal kiss, his hand still on her chest, pinning her to the wall, and hers entangled in his hair, a little too tightly for comfort, but neither of them noticed that.  
                Some part of Leah’s brain recognized that Dean was pulling her out of the entry way in the opposite direction of the living room, towards the rooms they had scavenged. When they got to the doorway, however, Leah shoved him back, and he landed, sprawled gracefully, on the mattress on the floor in the small room. When she moved to lay over him, she caught a faint whiff of  _Sam_  but it didn’t really matter because his hands were under her shirt, and it made her warmer, but somehow that was  _better_.  
                “You…gah…shh…shu…re…”  
                “Shut up.”  
                Apparently Dean could follow orders too.  
 **  
ONE HOUR LATER  
SECTOR 2  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING**  
  
                Dean had always thought that, if someone really pissed him off, he’d never be able to screw her. Ever. Huge case in point, the gorgeous ( _yet bitchy, spiteful, arrogant, waste of fucking space_ , he thought, viciously), Bela Talbot. But this…  
                He closed his eyes, then glanced over at the other side of the mattress at the sandy haired, and, really quite gorgeous ( _Damnit, Dean, X5? Designed to be gorgeous?_ ), woman beside him, who was really only pretending to be dozing. Her breathing had shifted about ten minutes ago. So here was the awkward part.   
                “We had sex.”   
                He sighed, and looked back at her, only to see that Leah had rolled over, and was now looking at him, an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks. It was kinda cute…but Dean shook his head. “No,” He said, sitting up, and hearing his back crack, “We had  _angry_  sex.”  
                She scoffed, and Dean felt that slight affection start to waver. “You can’t have angry sex unless you’re in some sort of relationship, which, I apparently have to point out, we’re _not_.”  
                “Thank god for small favors.” She punched him in the shoulder, and, yeah, that was a little dick to say… “Are you in heat?”  
                Thankfully, she took the question like a soldier, rather than her usual self. “Too early. I was feeling warm, but…” She shrugged.  
                Dean heaved a sigh, and made a ‘may I?’ gesture before leaning in and sniffing delicately at her neck. A puzzled expression covered his features. He sniffed again, not so delicately. “I  _know_  I smelt pheromones before…”  
                “Uh, Dean?” Dean glanced up at her face. Leah was looking  _really_  uncomfortable. “Can you kinda…back off now?” And Dean  _then_  realized how close he was to her and immediately slid back, trying to make it look casual.  
                “Um…yeah…” He then stood, grabbing his boxers and pulling them on, then searching for the rest of his clothes. “So…”  
                “We speak of this to no one?” Leah asked, snapping her bra on, and reaching for her shirt. Dean glanced at her, slightly in awe of her quick uptake.   
                “Yeah.” He paused. “Um…shower would probably be good.”   
                She glanced at him, and then tentatively sniffed at herself, wrinkling her nose. “Yeah.”  
                “Ok…” Dean shuffled his weight from the balls of his feet to his heels, then back again. “So…awkward…”  
                “Not as awkward as you having to explain to Sam why he has to clean his sheets.” And Leah was out of the room, and heading towards the one bathroom with a working shower. Dean scowled.  
                “Son of a bitch.” He muttered, kicking at his ruined undershirt…when suddenly there was a sharp, tight sensation in his chest—  
                And the world went white, but he was still there, still conscious, still  _alive_ , but there was someone else, something else in the room with him; no, in his  _body_  with him, and it was currently checking over the sheets, as if it was truly curious as to  _why_  they would have to be changed…  
                And Dean suddenly  _knew_.  
                “You just want to understand…” He whispered, watching the light with slight awe. It didn’t take any notice of him, just looked around the room, reaching out with many arms to brush against a thrown together living space.  
                And for the first time, he wondered…how  _did_  God feel about all of this? He gave his children free will, so that they could choose to live how they saw fit, do as they wanted…but to something that was the Ultimate Chaos and Order…how did you explain human nature?  
                “It’s why you leave, isn’t it?” He said, louder…though he knew it was still quiet (his chest still ached), but the light turned towards him, and he lowered his eyes. “You wanted to be among us…learn…”  
                “Only a fool thinks he knows everything.” The light said in the voice that was just sound and words, no masculine or feminine qualities, only shades of light and dark in sound.  
                And then his chest grew hot, and his vision went white again, and—  
                He blinked. He was on the floor, alone. There was no light in the room, and he felt…like there was someone with him…but like it was supposed to be there, and he just had forgotten. “No offense, but next time, I’d like warning before the creator of the universe sets up shop in my body.”  
                :: _…Leah was starting to annoy me._ :: Dean almost snorted with laughter. :: _I love all my children. It does not mean I do not find them annoying._ ::  
                “I think you’ve been in my head too long.” But Dean pulled himself to his feet, and started out of the room, casting a glance at the disheveled bed…  
                The sheets were clean. Dean smirked a little, and shook his head before walking out and into the hallway.  
 **  
ICU  
SAINT KATRINA’S HOSPITAL  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 29th 2021**  
  
                Alec stared down at the mottled face, willing the bruises to disappear, and her bronze coloring to return…her eyes to open…her to take a damned breath on her own…  
                He heard the door slide open and sighed to himself. The mental countdown told him they couldn’t afford this…the clock was almost out, and they still were missing…so much…  
                “The nurses told me you discharged yourself?” And damn Sam for having such god-damned worry in his voice.  
                Alec didn’t turn. “I don’t like needles.”   
                Sam snorted in obvious disbelief but Alec ignored him, and just clutched Keegan’s hand tighter. “I hate to bring this up-”  
                “But we have to get to the Devil’s Gate soon…I know.” Alec spared Sam a glance, before looking back at Keegan. “Sam…when you lost Jessica…” He saw Sam stiffen, but ignored it; he had to know. “It nearly killed you, right?”  
                He knew Sam was going to contemplate lying, but he was smart enough to know that Alec would know. And that Alec knew he had backed him into a corner. “I wanted revenge…but part of me didn’t want to go on, you’re right.” He said in a resigned manner.  
                Alec nodded. “And how long did it take?” He could feel Sam’s eyes on him, but he kept his eyes on Keegan’s face, one hand brushing a stray hair out of her eyelashes.  
                Despite the ambiguity of the question, Sam knew what he meant; Alec could tell by the wash of understanding that swept from Sam’s person. “Nearly a year and a half. I still love her, and still think about her. She wanted me to move on, though.”   
                Alec nodded again. “The first girl I ever loved…she was a mark’s daughter. Manticore used her crush on me as a way to gain information.” Alec let go of Keegan’s hand and grabbed the bedrail, not wanting to injure her further and knowing that he would end up clenching his fists. “I did as I was ordered. As she fell madly in love with her supposed piano instructor, her father’s assassin fell in love with her.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “When the order came to kill him…Manticore wanted to send a message. Kill…her too. I objected, they overruled me, and I was sent to complete the mission. Needless to say, they were suspicious, and, ultimately, right, since I tried to warn…R…her, and told her she was a job, and she ran out, and put herself in a coma saving her father’s life. I didn’t know that, though. All I saw was the car explode, and my handler pressing a secondary detonator, and then I was being dragged back to Manticore and put through the worst ever set of reindoctrination procedures ever. They  _made me forget_. Hell, then they made me remember, punished me for remembering, and made me forget all over again. By the time I got out of there, I was nothing. Perfect little soldier…little did I know, I was  _still_ going to be slated to be euthanized till the breeding program came along. But…I  _liked_ not feeling.”   
                He knew Sam was worried now, because his brother had moved closer. “Alec-”  
                “I couldn’t get through an hour in solitary, even trying to do sit-ups, or kata, without …her…in my head. When she wasn’t there, and I couldn’t just  _do_ …” He sighed. “I dealt with it later. I knew it wasn’t only my fault, but she’s  _dead_. And I tried to kill myself over that.” He finally turned, and met Sam’s eyes. Sam gave an involuntary shudder. “What I have for Keegan…” He closed his eyes, and breathed, “ _Had_  for Keegan can’t interfere with our mission.”  
                Sam’s eyes widened. He rushed forward, knowing, needing to stop him.“ Alec, don’t-”  
                But Alec had already sank into himself, and Sam hesitantly grabbed his shoulders, Alec didn’t move, he was just standing there, eyes closed, hands at his sides, clenching and unclenching rhythmically—  
                And then his eyes were open…and empty. Cold. “I’ll get the car.” He turned out of Sam’s grip, and it was a military precise about-face, and Sam watched in shock and absolute misery as Alec walked out of the door—  
                And 494 didn’t even glance back.  
                Beside him, he heard a crash, and looked over to see Keegan’s chart had fallen off the end of the bed. Sighing, he bent to pick it up… Only to realize there was a burnt handprint on the topmost page.  
 **  
SECTOR 2  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 29th 2021  
20 00 HOURS**  
  
                “Biggs with Keegan?” Sam nodded, glancing towards Alec ( _494_ ), but, as for the past hour, there was no change in his expression. Dean frowned, his eyes also on his clone, but refrained from saying anything on that topic. Besides, every time he had tried, his tongue would suddenly stop listening to his brain…and he kind of figured that perhaps, the deity currently in residence didn’t want the topic mentioned. “Good. The rest of the kids?”  
                “Eyes Only had a contact in the area, she’s keeping them with her, and sending them home.” Leah paused. “Only two were unsuccessful: Rose’s parents still have not responded, and Tanya…” She trailed off, glancing up at the said ‘Special Child’, who was lurking just inside the doorway.  
                Dean raised his eyebrows, and Tanya stepped forward. “My mother made a deal. I found her journal, and said that she made a deal with a man with yellow eyes. My father was a Familiar.” Dean raised his eyebrows again, and Sam made a sharp intake of breath, but Leah was already putting a hand up to stop questions, and Dean’s tongue wasn’t listening again anyway. “When I was kidnapped, my house burned down a month later. They killed my mom, and then imprisoned my father and me because they thought he put me through the ritual early. I’ve lived in that jail since I was eight years old…I am  _not_ a Familiar.” She spat the word out, making it a curse. “And, I want to help. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”  
                Dean paused. “No offense, but-”  
                “I’ll vouch for her.” Said Alec, quietly. “She was instrumental in the escape from the Familiar’s Compound. She can hold her own and has inherited many of their specific abilities including an extremely high pain tolerance and exceptional strength. Agility was unable to be assessed.”  
                No one said anything for a minute. Alec’s expression didn’t change.  
                “Damn, even mind-fucked he doesn’t shut up.” Leah muttered, very quietly. Dean shot her a look . “What? You got a better term for it?”  
                “Guys…” Sam said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.   
                Dean shot Leah one more withering look before turning back to Tanya. “Ok. Especially since we’re down one anyway.” He really hoped no one noticed how tight his voice got when he tried to gloss over Keegan’s absence.  
                “And Biggs is-” Leah started.  
                “Making sure that…when…” Sam swallowed hard. “She…eh…that there’s no autopsy, and that we can make sure the whole transgenic thing stays under wraps. Besides…I think Biggs said it best, when he said this is  _our_  kind of crazy, and he may be crazy, but Manticore didn’t train him to be  _that_  crazy.”  
                “Which is why you’ll be taking Rose back to Iowa, and check in on her parents.” Dean said, not looking at Leah.  
                Predictably, Leah bristled. “What?!”  
                Sighing, Dean dragged his gaze up to hers, “You’re an excellent soldier, Leah. But this is something you’ve never dealt with. We can hurt these things…but they can do so much more to us. Besides,” He finished, standing, “you don’t even believe in demons. Not like you can fight something you don’t believe exists.”  
                “Wait!” Dean rolled his eyes, but Leah had blurred so she was right in front of him. “We’re X5s! Highly adaptable! And, he’s my Alpha!” She said, pointing to Alec, who had also stood, though apparently was disinterested in the proceedings. “I’m following him!”  
                And Dean really hated to do this, but he looked over at Alec, and nodded. Alec cleared his throat. Leah spun to face him, shocked, and…was that hopeful? “X5-387, your orders are to take civilian Rose Holt to Iowa, locate and assess the threat to her home and family, and then either leave her with them, to meet us at the appointed rendezvous site, or return to the rendezvous site with her. If we do not report in two days, you are to go to ground with Biggs. Is that understood?”  
                When Leah fell into attention, every fiber of her shaking in anger, Dean completely understood. But, he knew it had to be done. “Yes, sir.” She growled, and snapped a salute.   
                Alec’s expression still didn’t change. “Dismissed.” And she spun on her heel storming out towards the hallway. Dean glanced at Sam (who was again trying to get Alec’s attention from where ever he was hiding in that brain of his), and then jogged after her, giving a hurried ‘excuse me’ to Tanya.  
                “Hey, wait-” He grabbed her arm, and found himself flying over her shoulder and landing heavily on the old wood floor. “Ow!”  
                “Don’t you  _dare_  touch me.” Leah snarled, putting pressure on his wrist, which she still had trapped at a painful angle. And, then she let go of his wrist and was stepping over him—  
                Which Dean saw as a perfect opportunity to sweep out her legs. And, he used the cramped space, and his larger mass to pin her, which she was really not happy about. “I know you’re a great fighter! But seriously! Are you gonna stop shooting and throw holy water on a man who’s coming at you?”  
                She paused, and Dean was glad. “I could adapt.”  
                Dean nodded. “You could…or you could end up dead before you did. I spent thirty  _years_ with these things torturing me. I know what they can do…especially if they’re not playing around.” He sat up, and offered a hand to Leah. “I’d rather loose less family…after all, Ellen needs to train someone if this goes sideways.”  
                To his complete and utter shock, Leah was suddenly pressed up against him from toes to lips, arms around his neck and  _kissing_  him. Before he even had a chance to even kiss back, she had pulled away, and was continuing down the hall. “You better be at the rendezvous.” She called over her shoulder. Dean raised his eyebrows, and touched his lips…and then smirked.  
                “Ok, guys!” Dean said, walking back into the living room, and ignoring a smirking Tanya who he realized must have witnessed the entire exchange. “We need to make it to Green River by midnight, October 31st. And we need to figure out how we’re gonna find Lilith’s six names before this all goes to Hell…again.” He sat down, looking from Sam’s confused eyes to Alec’s blank stare, to Tanya’s determined face. “So…ideas?”   


	21. Chapter 21

**BASE OF OPERATIONS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 23rd 2021**  
  
                White’s footsteps leaving her cell, pausing only to push the girl who smelled like Sam into the wall before slamming the door shut…that was the last thing she heard.  
                Keegan knew, even as she slipped into unconsciousness, that there had been  _damage_ done; she hadn’t been healing nearly as fast as she should have been to begin with, and two kicks to the stomach shouldn’t have knocked her out…  
                But it did.  
 **  
OCTOBER 25th 2021**  
  
                The next time Keegan was able to open her eyes, she noticed several things: there was a stifling heat around her, and someone had tried to force her to eat. It took several minutes before she was rational enough to realize the heat was being caused by the large amount of tattered blankets someone had tried to bundle her in, which led her to believe the food was most likely another attempt to help her. Clumsy, but the thought was appreciated.  
                What worried her, though, was the fact that the girl, she was right in front of her; shouldn’t she see that Keegan was awake? And so she tried to move, maybe throw off some of the many blankets; she was feeling better then she had since she arrived…  
 _She couldn’t move._  Keegan’s eyes flicked down to her limbs, and it was true; though she was willing her arm to come up, nothing was happening. And the pain was returning. She looked to the girl, hoping now she would notice Keegan was awake…  
                The girl stared right at her eyes, and gave a sad sigh. “I wish you could just open your eyes…He’s so worried about you…”  
 _NO!_  Keegan screamed, but she knew she couldn’t be heard. And it scared her. It meant…oh god, it meant…  _No, no, you are **not**  dying…no…wake up…wake up!_

 

**SAINT KATRINA’S**  
 **OCTOBER 28th 2021**  
  
                Her eyes flickered open again and this time, her body wasn’t in  _any_  pain…  
                “Paddles!” The sound startled her, and she jumped…and that was when the pain came jolting back. She coughed so hard it  _hurt_  even fucking  _more_. “We got sinus rhythm. This girl’s a fighter…I thought we were going to lose her there…”  
                “We can’t do this though. That’s the second time her heart’s stopped on us. Close her up…we’ll operate when she becomes more stable.” She didn’t recognize either of the voices.  
                Keegan struggled to hear over the absolute  _pain_  flooding everything. She couldn’t see, couldn’t move, but it  _hurt_.   
                “Maybe we should let her go…I mean…this is some heavy trauma…” The unconscious woman on the table, somehow, despite the breathing tube down her throat, managed to snarl.  
                The two surgeons stared at each other, before, “Right, we wait till she’s stable, then we patch her up.”

**OCTOBER 28th 2021**  
  
                There was a warmth by her bed, and she struggled to reach for it…but her body refused to respond to what she wanted to do. But she could  _smell_ , and it was  _Alec_ …  
                She could hear her heart monitor pick up the increase in speed as she could scent him getting closer.  _Oh god…Alec…you’re hurt too…I smell blood on you…_. Part of her was thankful she couldn’t see him, but she wanted to open her eyes, give him any of the comfort she could.  
                “Oh god…look at you…” His voice was so sad, so broken…Keegan struggled even more to make her body respond, but even her head was foggy.  _Pain meds, IV in your arm…_  She thought, realizing Alec was most likely upping the drip. Transgenic metabolisms were a bitch like that. But what scared her was that her body still wouldn’t respond, which it should. She hadn’t suffered any neck trauma ( _those doctors **did**  remove the electrode…they could have hit something in my spine…_), but even  _that_  should be healing with the stem cells circulating in her blood.  
                She felt him take her hand, and she almost cried.  _This can’t be over…not yet…_

**OCTOBER 29th 2021**  
  
                Keegan had hoped after hearing Alec break down with Sam ( _yesterday?_ ), that he was actually  _dealing_ , maybe even better then she was.  
 _Yeah, because there’s no bloody way I’m letting myself get dead just because White had a party. And he shouldn’t be worried, it’s not like those Cult-freaks would want to possibly ‘contaminate’ their breeding line…_  She heaved a mental sigh.  _The baby, though…Goddess has a plan, I know that…but still…_  
                She forced herself to focus on the words he was saying which, sadly, weren’t to her. Very faintly, she could smell someone else (Sam perhaps?), and the words, they were so hard to understand, louder to soft, then back to loud and back to soft… “As she fell madly in love with her supposed piano instructor, her father’s assassin fell in love with her.”  
                Her heart stuttered, enough that that the monitor next to her gave a feeble bleep, but neither man seemed to take notice. She knew what Alec was doing, ( _You bloody idiot!_ ), and she was going to lose him; she could sense him pulling away already.

                She focused; she had to wake up, had to at least blink, let him know it was ok, that things would work out—  
                And she could see! She waited for Alec to look down, glance towards her face… And he did! But he just brushed a hand over her eyes, and she couldn’t feel it, nor did it block her vision. She could see, but her eyes weren’t open, again. Mentally, she slammed a fist on the bed, and was shocked to catch movement—  
                Her body hadn’t moved, but her hand…it was above her  _hand_.  
                For a moment she froze. If her spirit was  _that_  free, she really had no business blaming Alec for being so upset; she was obviously close to death. A chill spread down her back. _This is it?! Nearly five hundred years of service and my **one**  life that’s my own gets cut short at twenty one?!_ The angrier she got, the easier it was to move, to separate her spirit from her physical body.  
                With a yell that neither Sam nor Alec could hear, she pulled herself into a sitting position, panting heavily. She stopped, staring at herself, at her skin, which was still shimmering as if her Faerie heritage was just beneath the surface, combined with the leopard spots dusting over her shoulders… _I make for one fucked up spirit. **I**  wouldn’t want to hunt me…I’d laugh my ass off…_ She thought, frowning.  
                “What I have for Keegan…  _had_  for Keegan can’t interfere with our mission.”  
                It felt like someone had doused her in ice water. She turned towards Alec; Sam was already trying to shake him out of his own head, and it wasn’t  _working_. She swung her legs out of her bed and stood, trying to get their attention. “ _Alec! Alec!!_ ” She stomped her foot, screamed, yelled, snarled… But nothing stopped the blankness from spreading in Alec’s eyes, and 494 to completely replace her mate. “ _No! Goddess damn you!!_ ” She grabbed the chart attached to her bed and threw it to the ground, ignoring the burning smell; but the resulting clatter made her jump.

                She looked down. She had  _moved_  it.   
                Sam was picking up the chart and peering at it carefully. Keegan moved closer to him, looking over his shoulder to see. There was a handprint,  _her_  handprint, burned on the paper. She flicked her eyes upwards, “ _Goddess, thank you!_ ”  
                :: _Don’t thank me yet._ ::   
                Keegan spun. Behind her, there was a woman. But she was  _all_  women, young and old, mothers and maiden aunts, and everyone. She hurt Keegan’s eyes to look at.  
                “Keegan?” She was torn; Sam was obviously calling to her, had figured out she was there, but the woman…  
                The woman smiled at her, nodding. :: _Did you think you would just be abandoned?_ :: Keegan couldn’t help the expression of disbelief that clouded over her features, but the woman just laughed. :: _Do you trust me?_ :: She held out a hand—smooth, wrinkled, white, black, tan—  
                Keegan glanced back at Sam, who was making a phone call, and sighed. “ _If it will save them…all of them…_ ”  
                :: _It will. My colleague has plans for you, too… **I**  am here to make sure you understand…_:: And Keegan was suddenly gone.  
  
 **SALVATION**  
 **IOWA**  
 **OCTOBER 30th 2021**  
 **09 00 HOURS**  
  
                “That’s my house…there.” Rose said, pointing.   
                Leah nodded from her position in the driver’s street, across the street and about a block away. There was something  _not right_. She couldn’t tell what it was, but something was sending chills down her back She focused her eyes, making them zoom in on the front door.   
                It was just barely open.  
                “Stay here.”   
                Rose watched her climb out of the car with a look of fear. “Uh, no way! I’m going-” She paused, catching the look in Leah’s eyes. “Ok. Staying here.”  
                “Good.” And Leah made her way stealthily towards the house. The minute she was out of sight, Rose closed her eyes, and breathed out, and  _jumped_.  
                Her form flickered for a minute (Alec, and later Sam had mentioned something about iron being a spirit repellant) but she forced herself to reform outside of the car. A moment later, (and thinking ‘invisible’) she crept into her house through the front window. Immediately, she wished she hadn’t.   
                Her living room was trashed. Granted, after the Pulse, everything tended to have a grungy-er look about it, but this…lamps over turned, TV smashed, couch standing on its side…  
                And between the shambles, she could see her parents…  
                Leah was crouching beside her mother, her booted feet leaving bloody footprints (why was there so much blood?), and checking for a pulse… After a long moment, Leah’s muttered curse was all Rose needed to hear. “ _No!_ ”   
                Leah snapped her head up, and she was aiming a gun at Rose. “I told you to stay in the car!” Leah breathed, holstering her gun and stepping towards Rose. She was absolutely shocked when Rose suddenly flickered, and then vanished, reappearing moments later beside her father.  
                “ _What happened to them?_ ” Rose wailed, crouching down…her hands were passing through her father’s face.   
                Leah bit her lip…frowning. She really had been hoping to avoid this. “They’re throats were slit…and…there’s sulfur all over the place.”  
                “ _They wanted me dead?_ ” There was something off about Rose’s expression…it was hardening.   
                Leah, for a brief moment, felt proud. The girl was gonna fight back. “It looks that way.”  
                Rose looked at the bodies of her parents, vanishing from one to the other to place a kiss on their foreheads that Leah was sure wouldn’t leave a trace. “ _Then I’m gonna live…and I’m gonna avenge my parents if it’s the last thing I do…_ ”. She vanished quickly, and Leah spun in a full circle before she heard the front door be pushed open. “I’m grabbing my clothes, and then I want to go back to Sam and Dean!” She heard Rose call, and then someone running up the stairs.  
                Leah frowned, but nodded to herself. “Good girl.” She whispered.  
                Leaving Dean to fight some big bad unknown enemy by himself? That wasn’t sitting well with her either. And little Rose? She had a perfectly legitimate reason to want to go after this Cult, and whatever they wanted her for, it wasn’t likely to be for tea parties and cookies.  
                Upstairs, Rose was throwing clothes in a bag, pausing only to throw a couple things that she wished to remember her family with, all the while, chanting in her head  _I’m not going to die, I’ll show them…I won’t let them beat me…I’m going to avenge my parents!_

**ICU  
SAINT KATRINA’S HOSPITAL  
ROCK SPRINGS  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 30th, 2021  
12 00 HOURS**  
  
 _It was like a dream…whirling color surrounding her like some bizarre cloak, whispers in her ear… **We are forbidden from interfering anymore…You’ve got a pass this time…please…Use the gifts we gave you well…Follow our last wish…**  and hurtling, back…back…back…_  
                She had a brief flash of her own body, lying on the bed, healing slowly, with Biggs sitting beside her, chatting up a nurse, who was making marks on her chart, and giggling a bit, before—  
                Her eyes snapped open and she inhaled, and it  _hurt_  and it made her choke.  
                “Oh shit!” Came from the nurse, and there was a clatter as the chart fell, “We need hands in here!” And then more hands on her, one she couldn’t throw off, even though she was trying, and someone was tugging on the thing that was choking her. “She’s panicking! Just let her up!” And the strongest grip (Biggs?), let go.  
                And with a cough, it was out, and she pushed herself up, ignoring the pitiful attempts to push her down, and looking straight at Biggs. “We need to get to the Devil’s Gate.”  
                Biggs blinked at her, waving off the nurses with a free hand. “Keegan, what the fuck just happened! You were comatose and practically  _dead_ , and now…” He paused, and grabbed the mirror from the nightstand, handing it to her. Keegan took the moment to rip out her IV first, before taking it in hand…  
                The first thing she noticed was that her bruises were fading, even as she watched. The second…“ My eyes…” Her eyes weren’t the yellow brown that she had gotten used to since she had woken up an X5; they were closer to a magenta color, and they were swirling with colors she hadn’t seen since she had last been Underhill.  
                “It’s a little freaky.” Biggs said, again waving out another nurse who tried to come in. “Um…if you want to get out of here, we’re gonna have to do it soon…”  
                Keegan tore her eyes away from the mirror, and looked back at Biggs. “No offense, where is everyone?”  
                “Gone. Headed out. Sam told me to stay with you…said he thought you were ‘fighting’…had no clue what that meant.”   
                Keegan gave a non-committal shrug and stood, not surprised to find herself a little wobbly. Biggs handed her a bag, containing some of her things, and she quickly pulled them on, not really caring if he saw anything. “Has there been any change with Alec?” Biggs’ sharp intake of breath caused her to look up. “What?”  
                “How could you know that? You were comatose.”   
                Keegan gave a little laugh. “Not entirely. Long story. Is he-” Biggs was shaking his head, so Keegan let it drop. “Then let’s go meet up with them. They can’t do this without us. I’m not gonna let them wipe us all out, humans, transgenics, any of us. This Cult is going down.” She snarled, thankful the pack had included her favorite Glock, and her leg holster, which she immediately strapped on. “If we hurry, we can catch them.”  
                Biggs just nodded, and followed, looking a little overwhelmed, and very much out of his league.

**SOMEWHERE IN NEBRASKA**  
 **OCTOBER 30th 2021**  
 **13 00 HOURS**  
  
                “You do know, we’re probably not going to make it in time to be of any-” Leah was just about to finish when suddenly, there was someone in the backseat. “Whoa!”  
                “I did not mean to frighten you,” Said Castiel, smiling a little. “We have need of haste…” Leah had just enough time to glance at Rose, and register her scared expression before the world went white, and they were suddenly a lot farther along than they were before…

 

**SOMEWHERE IN WYOMING**  
 **OCTOBER 30th 2021**  
 **15 00 HOURS**  
  
                “You know, I kinda miss the talkative Alec…” Dean heard Tanya mutter, and spared a moment to glare at her over the passenger seat. Sam had taken over driving, Dean having decided that a little rest was better than none at all.  
                Dean hated this, hated fighting against all these unknowns, but, hell, he had fucking  _God_ currently residing in his head, and he’d be damned if he let this Cult wipe out the world because  _he_  couldn’t look to the bigger picture.  _I just hope…if I end up dead this time…I stay dead. This is getting ridiculous._  
                :: _You’ve surpassed my Son._ ::  
                And gee… _that_  was a comforting thought…


	22. Chapter 22

**SOMEWHERE ALONG ROUTE 80  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 30th, 2021  
16 00HOURS**  
  
                If there was one thing Sam hated more than anything it was the absolute  _denial_  he had seen Dean shove towards him on countless occasions; the most memorable being their father’s death and Dean’s sojourn to Hell. What he hated  _more_  was that this trait was, apparently, genetic.   
                The part that scared him was that Alec (or more accurately X5R-494), had far surpassed Dean.  
                Driving down the eerily empty highway, ever closer to Green River, Sam was completely convinced that, one of these days, Dean and Alec’s denial was going to kill them. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand  _why_  Alec had shut down; he had been tempted to himself on several occasions, the most glaringly obvious was Jess. It was that, when Alec did, he clamped down so far that it wasn’t even the same person staring back at them. And Dean wasn’t helping; he was still looking at Alec as if he was just waiting for the annoying younger clone to break into his trademark smirk and make some snide comment about Dean being old or gay.  
                Dean got paler every hour they went without a word from 494.  
                “Tanya.” Sam said, raising his eyes to the rearview mirror and forcing himself to look past the empty green ones that stared straight ahead. Tanya’s brown one’s met his in the reflection. “I know you’re not really one of those Cult people, but do you know anything about what they might be planning?” Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Dean start a bit, and turn to look at him. Well,  _someone_  had to make sure they started looking for information.  
                There was a long moment before Tanya spoke. “I never really got the whole story. All I know is they did a bunch of ritual sacrifices to some goddess of theirs, and about a week ago, they were all excited over a dig-”  
                Sam jerked the wheel and had to fishtail to correct the car.   
                “Damnit, Sam!” snapped Dean, punching him in the shoulder. “Pull over, you’re done. I’m driving.”  
                “So you can get distracted every time God sees some interesting roadside advertising?” Sam scoffed. “No! We wasted nearly two hours because The Almighty was intrigued by signs for a sex store! I personally think you’re corrupting the Creator of the Universe.”  
                “You can’t blame Him for bein’ curious! It  _was_  called  _Adam & Eve_*…which is an odd name for a porn shop, if you ask me.” Dean actually  _pouted_  and Sam glanced back at Alec, only to be reminded that, while Dean had unconsciously picked up the habit from his clone, 494 would not find that knowledge amusing.  
                The slightly better mood that had filled him while he was bantering with his brother left him as suddenly as a gust of wind. “Dean, stop pouting.” He said, his voice dry and a little sad.   
                The half-smile that Dean had been wearing slipped off his face, replaced by a look of concern, and coupled with a half glance towards 494. “Uh…”   
                Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and quite suddenly his eyes were bright blue. “ _I did not mean to cause delay._ ”   
                For the second time in barely five minutes, Sam was fishtailing to avoid killing his brothers and Tanya. And he nearly did it again when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing back, he realized that 494 was leaning forward. “I think it would be best if I drove.” He said, voice flat and simple. Sam just nodded, not trusting his voice, and pulled over, easing out of the driver’s side as Dean shook himself and started muttering quietly but vehemently, seemingly to himself.   
                After he slid into the back seat (Tanya shifted a bit to allow for his longer legs), Sam realized Dean was probably arguing with God about the whole ‘taking-over’ thing. He turned back to Tanya, shaking his head a little. “This dig; did they find anything? Like a tablet with writing on it?” Dean stopped muttering and turned in his seat, focusing on Tanya as well.  
                Tanya looked mildly surprised at the sudden attention, but gave a kind of helpless shrug. “Sam, I was a prisoner. The only reason I was kept around was because they thought I might make a good brood mare at some point. I overheard the guards talking about the dig, but I didn’t hear anything about a tablet. They  _did_  say something about having the final piece…does that help?” She looked up at Sam, a little shyly.  
                From the front seat, Dean rolled his eyes and sank back into his seat, saying “Oh great.”   
                Sam got the distinct impression it wasn’t about the rather bad news they had just received. “Well, it helps because now we know  _they_  have what they need to summon Lilith…but it doesn’t help us figure out a way to  _stop_  them from doing it.” They sank into an uneasy silence, pondering that.   
                It was broken nearly a half hour later when Alec grunted, “Motel,” and began to pull into the crumbling parking lot.  
                “We have to keep going, Alec why the hell are you pulling over?” Dean snapped. 494 didn’t so much as look at him. Glancing back at Sam, Dean gave a heavy sigh before dropping his voice in an uncanny imitation of their father: “I asked you a question, soldier.”  
                There was the slightest of flickers in 494’s eyes. “A scent.” Dean looked at him as if he had gone insane.   
                Sam privately agreed. “Excuse-” He started. But Alec had already put the car in park, and was pushing open the door. A moment later, he had his gun drawn and leveled at—  
                “Leah?! I thought you were ordered to take—ROSE?!” Dean was already out of the car, slamming the door shut, and making Sam and Tanya jump in the backseat. However, at the sound of Rose’s name, Tanya was now forcing her way out of the car, leaving the distinct scent of ozone, which Sam choked a little bit on. Shrugging, Sam gave in and followed.  
                Standing outside the commandeered jeep that had once belonged to Alec and Keegan was Leah, Rose, and Castiel. When Dean  _finally_  took notice of the angel, he fell mute, gaping rather amusingly. “I do believe it is my fault they are here against your orders, Dean.” Said Castiel, still very quietly. 494  _twitched_. Castiel glanced towards him, his expression saddening. “Alec, you do understand-”  
                But Alec had snapped to something similar to the military ‘attention’. “My designation’s 494.” The flash that Sam had caught in Alec’s eyes dimmed a little, even as 494 tilted his chin up in a show of defiance. Cas gave a little nod, and stepped back next to Leah and Rose.  
                “I had to bring her back, sir,” said Leah, not meeting Dean’s eyes. “I’m following the orders my commanding officer gave.”  _That_  was said with a glance towards Alec, and then back to Rose. “Her-”  
                “My parents are dead,” Said the girl, her eyes misting. The gaze she leveled Dean with, however, was unwavering. “Just try to tell me I don’t have the right to fight the things that did it.”  
                “You told me that traces of sulfur meant this was related to the Cult.” Leah said, Rose’s courage boosting her own. “I couldn’t leave her alone and in danger.”  
                “I don’t think I need to point out the obvious that this isn’t the rendezvous.” Sam muttered.   
                Tanya smacked him on the shoulder. “Rose, I’m sorry…” She said, stepping forward and holding out her arms. Rose only paused a moment before closing the distance and letting herself be hugged.  
                After a long moment, Dean cleared his throat. “Ok, Cas, why did you bring them here?” Castiel just looked at him. “Right, ok, needed for some reason…Alec, how the fuck did you know they were here?”  
                494 was ignoring him and signaling for silence, his entire body tense.  
                A moment later, there was the distinct sound of a car pulling up. Half a second later, car doors were slammed shut, and voices were speaking. And as both voices argued (because,  _of course_  they were arguing), Alec became more and more tense. Then, as they came around the opposite edge of the rather decrepit motel, Alec sprang up, and leveled his gun.  
                “Whoa!”  
                “X5-511 step away from the unknown!” 494 ordered, expression unwavering.   
                Dean stared at Alec, and then blinked slowly, turning his attention to the pair. Hands raised in a gesture of surrender were Biggs and “ _Keegan_?” His heart leapt, and beside him, he felt Sam tense as if he was just itching to run over there and make sure she was ok, but neither of them moved; neither of them wanted to spook the transgenic beside them. Alec was trembling, his gun  _actually_  wavering in his grasp, and looking more and more unhinged. “Alec, lower your gun, that’s  _Keegan_. Your  _mate_.” He stepped forward, but Alec (no, this was 494), flinched.  
                “This is a trick from Manticore. X5R-105 is  _dead_ , 511, 112. So stop making this more difficult than it has to be and  _step away_.” Even 494’s  _voice_  was shaking.  
                Dean didn’t need the genetically enhanced IQ to know that something was going down, and badly. And while he was exceedingly glad to see Keegan up and about, not even a day ago  _Sam_  had been telling him that she wasn’t expected to make it. Yet there she was ( _But she’s with Biggs…_ ), and she looked…different. Nothing he could tell physically, just different.  
                “Alec, it’s me. Keegan.” She said, stepping forward.   
                494 squeezed the trigger, blasting the dirt centimeters in front of her foot. Keegan flinched, but didn’t step back.  
                Sam put his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “It’s really Keegan.”  
                Dean shot him a look. “How the hell can you confirm-”  
                “Remember the car accident? Where you fought off that reaper?” Dean nodded, gesturing for Sam to continue. “Keegan made the chart fall off her bed, leaving a burned hand print. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought she might be in a similar situation. Let’s face it, Dean, we’re all Chosen. It sucks, but I highly doubted they were just going to let her drift off.” It was hard to refute Sam’s logic.  
                “So nice of you to  _share_.” Dean grumbled. However, while that may have convinced  _him_ , _he_  wasn’t the one holding a gun on his mate. “Alec-”  
                “My designation’s 494!” Alec was snapping; even under the cool mask of the Manticore soldier, it was clear to see. Keegan took a step back, obviously not wanting to push him.  
                :: _We don’t have time for this_ :: Sounded in Dean’s head, and there was that impatient, but not unkind push, and he was moving forward, two fingers out, gently tapping Alec on the forehead, moving faster than he could even with his genetically enhanced speed.  
                494 dropped into unconsciousness without any ceremony, gun falling from limp fingers. Keegan rushed to him ( _unsurprising_ ), and Dean was back in control of his body, cursing out the deity in residence. “Seriously! Stop that!”  
                :: _I am not fond of taking over your rather limited body either, Dean Winchester. But do you think he will just accept that his Mate was healed when Manticore replayed his first love’s ‘death’ in his mind over and over again? When he was forced to kill her every time he remembered her?_ :: Dean fell silent, kneeling next to Alec and Keegan under the pretense of checking Alec’s pulse. :: _He **is**  alive._::  
                “I know that!”  
                “Know what?” Keegan asked, looking towards him.   
                Dean did a double take. “What’s up with the swirling eyes?” Keegan glared at him. “Sorry. And I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to,” He made a helpless gesture towards his head. “Him.” Keegan stared at him blankly. “You’re looking better.”  
                “Well, that’s not entirely my doing. My goddess…” She trailed off, looking towards Alec. “I have work left to do, apparently. That, or my bitching actually worked.” Then, biting her lip, she awkwardly pulled Alec’s limp form towards her, before pulling him up and standing, cradling him in her arms. “Next time you decide to knock out my mate, it’d be prudent for you to remember he was  _shot_  before you let him hit the ground like a brick.” And, still with him in her arms, she carried him towards the car.  
                Sometimes, transgenic strength still surprised him.  
                “Ok,” Dean said, shaking himself and looking at the much larger group then he had expected. He didn’t like taking thus many people, let alone to go into battle blind with one hand tied behind his back. “What are we going to do? Just take everyone along to the cowboy cemetery and  _hope_  we can stop the Familiar’s world ending demon summoning? And  _god damn_  I  _hate_  that the damn phrase is so fucking familiar.”  
                “Yes!” He stepped back, bumping into Biggs, and completely not expecting the vehemence behind Rosie and Leah’s additions.  
                Biggs, however just raised his arms in mock surrender, saying, “I  _still_  think this is far beyond my kind of crazy.  _She_  made me come,” He said, pointing at Keegan. “And besides, Alec is my Alpha.” He gave another non-committal shrug. “But I can tell you this, shut down or not, he’s no good to you unconscious.”  
                “I know that, you think I don’t know that?!” Dean snapped, rolling his eyes. “Wasn’t really _my_  idea.”  
                “Which is another example of why this is so not my kind of crazy.” Biggs shot back.  
                Dean gave him a rough pat on the back. “Well, it’s your kind of crazy now. Everyone! Bring it in!” He glanced over at Keegan, “Save you. Sam help if you can, but after, you’re helping with demons 101.” He gestured for everyone to sit down, watching as Sam helped Keegan unroll one of the sleeping bags and help maneuver Alec onto it. They whispered something, something low enough that even Dean had a hard time making out distinct words, and then Sam made his way back towards the group. “Ok, first things first…throw all your normal ideas of weapons out the window….”  


***

  
                It bothered her, his silence; perhaps more so then the fact his body was obviously struggling with its wounds, healing slower than it should, but his silence…  
                “I know you’re awake so stop feigning sleep.” There was no outward signs that he heard her (as she knew there wouldn’t be) but by his breathing; she could just  _tell_  he was conscious, aware. “I can make it an order, 494.”  
                And, predictably, he cracked one eye barely open. “I am still your superior officer despite-”  
                “And since this is a  _medical_  request,  _I_  outrank  _you_.” She hissed, her patience running very thin.   
                His eyes snapped open and focused on her. For one brief moment, she thought maybe, just maybe, she had somehow bypassed the mental walls he put up. “X5R-105 was not our field medic. She was one of our specialists. Did they even brief your properly?”   
                Keegan had to hold herself back from slapping him across his face. He was starting to _really_  get on her nerves. “You  _know_  I kicked your ass on the field med exam,” She started, trying to keep her voice even. “You accused me of cheating ‘cause I was a doctor one lifetime.” She sat back, and offered her hand to help him sit up.   
                Unsurprisingly, he didn’t take it, and instead, shoved himself into a seated position. “How do you know that?” Even Dean and Sam paused in their little demon lesson, surprised at the emotion behind the words.  
                But Keegan wasn’t fooled. In his eyes, despite his words, he was still as blank and empty. This wasn’t a good sign; what it was just another sign that he was adapting to his cover, making himself blend in more… “Goddess  _damn_  you.” She shoved him, and stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself.   
                She missed the flicker in 494’s eyes, but she couldn’t miss the tentative hand on her shoulder. “It… _can’t_  be 105.  _You_  can’t be 105.”  
                And working with the barest inkling, she spun, and found herself barely a hair’s breath away from Alec. “I  _am_. Did they possibly know where I came from? Could they know what I am?” She looked away, hot tears burning her eyes. “Damnit, Alec, Manticore is _over_ , destroyed. What’s to gain by doing this?” She was very aware that he was still touching her, his hand having moved from her shoulder to her cheek. But when she looked up…there was still the blankness…and—  
                She couldn’t do it. She stepped back, breaking the contact between them, and turning away. “ _This_  is why  _my_  kind  _avoid_  love.” She snarled.  
                There was a small, almost hateful smirk on 494’s face. “Great actor. One of Manticore’s top deep cover agents are you? I suppose I should feel honored.”  
                That was it. She wasn’t even conscious of calling the fire to her hand, but when she punched him; a strong hit to the jaw that actually snapped his head back and sent him sprawling back into the dirt; there was a burn along with the bruised (if not broken) jaw. “Stupid, ignorant, thick piece of junk DNA!” She forced the green fire now swirling around her fist to dissipate, ignoring the slightly stunned look she was receiving from 494’s current position in the dust.  
                “Keegan! Holy shit, what the hell did you just do?!” Sam was running over, but Keegan had enough.   
                With one glance back at Dean (who was sitting in almost stunned silence), she just shook her head. She needed to think, to approach this from a different angle. And for that, she’d need to cool off. “I’ll be back.” She said, and then she vanished.  
 **  
18 00 HOURS**  
  
                Leah looked out over the horizon, shifting uneasily. “We need to move out.”   
                Dean shot her a look that should have dropped her in her grave. “We are not leaving without Keegan.” He said, tightly.   
                To his absolute shock, Alec was beside him, growling low in his throat, eyes fixed on Leah. And just as quickly as he had done it, he was back to being blank, if looking mildly confused as to his previous reaction. “Sorry.”  
                “Alec…why don’t you go…repack the weapons.” Dean said, raising an eyebrow.  
                “Sir.” 494 did an about face, heading back towards the cars.   
                Dean shook his head, frowning. “I  _think_  that was progress…”  
                Leah huffed. “And I still think that we should just go-”   
                And now  _Dean_  was snarling. “We’re not going until Keegan is back safe and sound.” He repeated, holding Leah by her jacket’s lapels. “Now, I know that’s hard to understand for someone so  _military_ -” However, Leah leaned in to him and pressed her lips to him.  
                “Whoa! Dude, now’s not the time!” Sam yanked Dean backwards. Leah made a whimpering noise, but forced herself to look away.   
                Dean shrugged off Sam. “We’re  _still_  not leaving without Keegan.” He said, straightening his jacket. And, just as quickly, his jacket was being pulled tight behind him, and he felt an intense heat on his lower back.  
                “Glad you feel that way, coz.” The pressure on his jacket lessened, and the heat disappeared. He jerked away, spinning, and his eyes focusing on who had grabbed him. Keegan was standing almost exactly where he had been, and she was slowly putting out the small green flame that she had probably grabbed his jacket with.  
                “This was my favorite jacket!” He yelped, aware of how close he was to whining. She shot him a look. “You didn’t actually burn it, did you?”  
                “Considering it’s about the only way I can vent what I’m feeling for a certain  _mate_  of mine…be lucky it’s intact.” She shot a glare towards Alec, who was meticulously repacking their weapons, obviously unaware of Keegan’s return. However, there was a distinct lack of anger in her gaze, and more of a sadness. “Sorry.”  
                Dean shifted his gaze, also his stance, “Its ok.” And, awkwardness aside, he supposed it was. However, the sentiment and statement was obviously missed because Leah and Keegan were glaring at each other, Leah’s short hair standing on end. “Oh fuck.”  
                He glanced at Sam, who was shaking his head in something like amusement. “Dean…what have you been doing?” And there was something to his tone that made   
Dean suspect a whole lot more was going on in the subtext of that sentence, but it would have to wait.  
                “Yo! Chick fight later…Sam, make sure they’re in separate cars.” And he stalked off towards ‘his’ car, grumbling under his breath.  
                Barely five minutes later, both cars were loaded up, the third abandoned.  
 **  
GREEN RIVER  
WYOMING  
OCTOBER 30th 2021  
20 00 HOURS**  
  
                “~ _There’s a security detail surrounding the cemetery. I’m pretty sure **that**  isn’t usual, Over._~” Dean frowned at the metallic voice of Keegan over the com and sighed.  
                “Figures, though.” He said into the mic. “Get a head count and report back, Over.”  
                “~ _Roger. Over and out._ ~”  
                Dean took a moment to run his hand through his hair before he turned to look at his rag tag group. “The party’s already started people. We need to break in to stop the fun.”  
                “I can take a team in. 511-” 494 started.  
                Biggs stepped in front of him, looking saddened. “Alec, it’s  _Biggs_ , Jason  _Biggs_.” Dean looked up sharply at Alec, searching for any sign that Biggs had gotten through.  
                “511 and myself have taken out perimeter guards when much more stealth was required.” 494 continued as if Biggs hadn’t interrupted. However, he wasn’t looking straight ahead; his focus was on Keegan who had walked back into the small clearing they had set up base in. For the first time in days, his eyes weren’t quite so blank. Dean glanced at Sam, and saw that he noticed too.  
                “I personally think the best approach would be to sneak in.” Tanya said, not noticing the change that had occurred in Alec. “I can teach you the basic chants-”  
                “No!” Castiel said, and everyone looked at him, surprise written on each of their faces. After a long moment, Cas slowly schooled his features back into his usual slightly sad expression. “Any addition to the demon’s followers may tip the scales towards Hell.”  
                “Fuck!” Dean kicked at the ground, frowning. “Now, any  _helpful_  advice on how to get in?”  
                To his complete surprise, there was a hand raised from the back of their ragtag group. “I-I can go in, spirit only. They can’t see spirits, I can get the names.” Rose’s voice was quiet, but strong. “We need the names to stop the demon…shouldn’t that be first priority?”  
                Sam walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You have got a valid point.”  
                “Hunter’s instincts.” Dean mumbled, looking at Rose with an appraising eye. “Sam, teach her a basic exorcism-”  
                “You’re going to have to write it down.” Leah said in a slightly sing-song voice. “She’s got fight and fervor, but unless she’s got an eidetic memory like 494 over there, she’s not going to memorize it in a few minutes.” Dean and Sam stared at her for a moment. “What? She’s a Norm even if she’s special. And besides,  _I_  don’t even have eidetic memory. Not all X5s were designed the same.”   
                In unison, Dean and Sam both looked over to Alec and Biggs; the latter just shrugged, and 494 calmly said, “You never asked.”  
                “OK…so suggestions on how to break in,” Dean asked, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.   
                “ _I’d_  suggest the good ole’ ‘shock and awe’ approach.” Keegan said quietly.   
                It took Dean a moment to find her. “Why the hell are you in a tree?”   
                She glared down at him. “Better surveillance. Anyway, you’ve got lady lightning and me. Not to mention 494’s expertise in explosives. Literally shock and awe, while you two get in there and stop this. Rose can hop back into her body, backed up by Biggs; you’re a cute and powerful little bird, Rose, but we-” She gestured vaguely towards herself and the Original Brothers Winchester, “Don’t want to see you dead. Leah can back us up, since you can bet your ass I’ll be wiped from wielding, and I can’t imagine Tanya’s gonna be able to fight forever either.”  
                Dean hated to admit it, but it seemed Keegan had the best plan so far. “One amendment.” Dean smiled. “I want in on the explosives.”  
                “No!” The fact that  _each and every one_  of his pack had so adamantly denied his request gave him pause, for all of a second.  
                Dean crossed his arms. “Tough. I’m the Alpha, I say I’m helping with the explosions.”  
                “You kidding, Dad? We let you handle the boom and we’ll be taking you home in a matchbox.” Alec stepped forward, and for a small moment, there was that  _spark_ , enough that Keegan leapt lightly down from her perch. But Alec looked towards her, and his expression hardened again. “I doubt that allowing you to play with explosives will actually  _help_  with this mission’s success.”  
                “Then when do we send in Rose?” Sam asked, shoving Dean in the ribs to prevent him from arguing the point. “Soon? Or do you need time to set up the explosives?”  
                “Closer to the ritual time.” Castiel said, placing a hand on Rose’s shoulder, and offering her a rare smile. “We cannot undo what they have not done.”  
                “Undo?” Dean’s eyes narrowed as he looked towards Cas. “I thought we were  _preventing_.”  
                “We cannot prevent what we do not know.” Castiel replied in the same, even tone.  
                Dean couldn’t help the look that crossed his face. “We could ‘stop’ Samhain!”  
                “It’s pronounced ‘Sah-wane’, you git. Sah-wane. S-a-m-h-a-i-n. Samhain. Gaelic. Stupid Americans.” Keegan huffed, matter-of-factly.  
                Dean flipped Keegan off. “We still could apparently stop Mr. Name-isn’t-spelled-anything-like-its-pronounced.”  
                Castiel sighed, and looked away…and real fear trickled into Dean’s awareness. “This is bigger than Samhain. This is almost as big as Lucifer. Quite possibly bigger…my superiors were not clear on what exactly would happen if Lilith was summoned by these Cultists…save that human-kind would be wiped out as a first step.”   
                Keegan balked at him, making a noise that was similar to a scoff. “ _O pandraer iar ailai sor shoryr aelael cyrdol shar shor cadael? Tia kydaer, Castiel, shi eisi taesalia kyl ail car tylaer._.”   
                Cas answered in the same language: “ _Ai eis seil, Keegan. Eir jhaer Ai eis seil._ ” He turned back to the group on whole. “The only ones who need to be here are Dean, Sam, Keegan and I-”  
                “ _That is not true._ ” This time, Dean was still in complete control of his body but his mouth and tongue were answering to the deity in residence. The sensation was beyond weird, but he could still see, still have some sense of control. “ _It is imperative that you all understand…this is not some mistake. My children are smart…but sadly predictable. I Tapped Dean because he was prophesized as one of the brothers who would bring balance, but after losing the door to heaven…I may have nudged Sandman, another Tapped, to clone, and then twin Dean again. I need Alec as well, **you**  need him. Ideally, Ben would have joined us but, after living within Dean…I’m not sure any of us could deal with  **three**  aspects of Dean. Sadly, interference from one of Castiel’s superiors sent Ben on his own path which ultimately led to his destruction._”   
                Dean felt his throat constrict, and then, just as suddenly as he had lost his power of speech, it was returned. “That’s it! No more stealing my voice!”  
                “Somehow, I doubt that will deter him.” Sam said, raising both eyebrows. “Anyway, so we should probably hurry, and get Rose into position…”  
                “Why?” Leah asked, stepping closer to the girl. Dean felt something in his chest, a sort of tightening, but he shoved it away. “Don’t we still need to figure out our time frame?”  
                “It’s now twenty hundred and fifteen hours. At zero hour, we’ve got a problem…I’m assuming. This is  _still_  not my kind of crazy.” Biggs muttered, flipping the cover back down on his watch.  
                “And for the nonmilitary of us?” Tanya asked, raising an eyebrow.  
                “Subtract twelve.” 494 snapped, not looking up from his current project, which was looking more like playing with pinkish molding clay then anything extremely dangerous. “And did the Not-105 specify whither we would be causing a  _deadly_  distraction, or just a loud one?”  
                “I’m right here, you ass. And deadly, unless our resident angel and deity have any objection.” Keegan glanced towards Castiel and Dean, but Dean had the distinct impression that she was looking beyond him, to the God in him and that pissed him off.  
                “Well,  _I_  don’t have an objection to deadly force. You, Cas?” He barely looked at Castiel before moving towards Alec. “Dude, is that clay?” Dean asked, poking at the stuff.  
                Alec gave him a very patronizing look. “Yes, Dad, it’s  _clay_. Clay that will  _explode_  if you run a current through it. It’s C4, dumbass.—Ah-ah. No touch!” And he yanked the peach colored clay away from Dean’s reaching finger tips. “The last thing we need is God’s vessel blowing himself up. Oh, and we should probably keep electric girl away from this too.”  
                Dean glanced towards Tanya. “Good to know.”  
                “Ok, Dean, away from the explosives.” Sam said. However, it took Sam  _and_  Biggs to move him away. “You’re acting like you’re five!”  
                “At least I have some sort of emotion! Would you rather me, over excitable with explosives as I am, to make the booms or  _him_? The guy we can’t even be sure won’t try to kill his  _mate_?” Dean argued.  
                From behind him, he heard a squelching noise that turned out to be Alec crushing the C4 between his hands. Biggs saw, and did a rather amusing double take before blurring to him, and struggling to get the C4 away from him. “Dude! You’re gonna blow us all up!”  
                But Alec—or was it 494?—wasn’t even fighting him. “I don’t understand! White  _killed_ Keegan, and you guys act like her just showing up is  _normal_! You know, if we were back at Manticore, you’d’ve been destroyed for sheer incompetence!”  
                By this point, Alec was barely a foot away from Dean, and clenching his fists in a rhythmic way suggesting he was trying to control his temper. Dean spared a glance down at them, before meeting Alec’s eyes. “IQ aside, you are the  _dumbest_  smart person-” the rest of his sentence was drowned out by 494’s snarl as he launched himself at Dean, tackling his older clone with his hands dangerously close to his throat.  
                “Whoa!” It was all Dean could do to keep himself limp and roll, using a move that Alec himself had taught him and tossing his little brother over him. He held up a hand, flipping himself up to his feet as Alec stood behind him, snarling. “Don’t!” The sentiment was lost as he lost track of Alec, who had circled to his blind side, diving this time at Dean’s legs, and taking them out at the knee, using the natural bend against Dean. He went crashing to the ground, struggling to spin against Alec’s iron grip when a flash of bright green light whooshed past his head.  
                For a moment, Dean couldn’t tell who the shot was aimed at, until he felt the impact of someone colliding with the nearly immovable body pinning him. Managing to get his head around, he felt the grip on him lessen as Alec struggled to deal with the new attacker.  
                And felt his blood drain from his face. “Keegan!” He yelped.  
                In any normal fight, he had no doubts that his little sister could have kicked ass and smiled the whole way through, but this was  _Alec_ , and for that matter, they weren’t even sure if it  _was_  Alec they were dealing with. However, when he made to dive back into the fray, he was surprised to find three separate sets of hands holding him back; Sam, Biggs and Leah were all preventing his return to the fight.  
                Meanwhile, he winced as he watched Keegan go down under a rather harsh blow that should have knocked her unconscious. :: _You’re thinking in human terms again, Dean. Mayhap this is what they need…_ ::  
                A moment later, the underdog was most assuredly Alec, as Keegan had called on her magicks, and her superior speed, and perhaps one or two of Alec’s tricks as well, as she threw a flaming uppercut to 494’s chin that knocked him backwards and reeling for a moment.  
                With no regard for his body or safety for that matter, Alec paused, staring, taking in exactly  _who_  he was fighting, “Kee…Keely?” It was almost hopeful. Keegan paused, lowering her flaming hands. And 494 charged her again, knocking the wind from her.  
                Dean winced in sympathy (as did every other male within hearing distance), when Alec’s yelp hit soprano range. Even Keegan looked a little guilty at the quite literal low blow she had took, but her sideways glance towards Dean told him immediately, it had been the only non-lethal move she could have executed from the position she had been put in.  
                And even now, Alec still doubled over, arms gripping her shoulders from where he had been about to, from Dean’s perspective, snap her neck, Keegan’s face was covered in tears. “I’m sorry.” It was barely a whisper.  
                “I…should be…apologi…zing…” And very carefully, gently, one of Alec’s hands moved from her shoulder to cup her cheek. There was a long pause, and then the flames surrounding her hands flickered and died, as she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly.  
                From beside him, he heard both Biggs and Leah make audible sounds of disbelief, but he could  _see_  that there was more in his brother’s eyes…more in the way he was now tightly returning the hug, burying his face in her hair and making noises that were apparently apologies for the past few days.  
                Dean  _really_  hated the fact he had to be the one to break up the reunion. “If Alec can walk, we need to plan strategy. We’ve got less than four hours before this whole place becomes demon central, and quite literally, all Hell breaks loose…again.”  
                Alec made to take a step away from Keegan, but wobbled, necessitating Tanya, who had been on the very edge of the clearing, to catch his other arm. “Uh…listening and planning, yes. Walking? Not so much.” He looked back at Keegan, and gave a sheepish smile. “Why do women love hitting me there? I’ve been told it’s my most valuable asset.”  
                “Most men think it is.” Tanya grumbled, nudging him in the ribs to get him moving. Keegan, however, didn’t say anything and looked down, like she was upset by what she did. Which was all fine and wonderful, save for the fact they had a battle to fight that would essentially decide the fate of the world.  
                “Pull it together guys. We go in, in about three hours. Let’s hammer this out…now.” Dean said, frowning. “We only got one chance at this…just one.”  
 **  
23 15 HOURS  
**  
                “Her blood pressure and heart rate is stable, her breathing is a little slow, but I’m not worried…yet.” Leah glanced up from Rose’s still body, locking on to Dean’s pacing form.  
                Already, Tanya, Alec and Keegan had taken up positions around the cemetery, and were instructed on radio silence until Dean gave them the all clear. That was where Dean’s mind currently was, running over the possible scenarios that would happen if any of them went down…  
                “Dean!”  
                Dean spun. “Yes? What? I’m listening.”  
                The look Leah gave him told him she was not amused. “Rose’s breathing is decreasing, and her heart rate and blood pressure are low but stable. She said three hours was her limit, but she’s never tested herself by being completely invisible the entire time. I’m not worried yet, but she should have found it by now.” She gave a funny little twitch, that if Dean had to try to explain, he would have said she had tried to both move towards him and stay where she was.  
                “Can we call her back?” He asked.  
                “I…” Were those… _tears_  glittering in the former Manticore soldier’s eyes? “…I don’t know how…” She admitted.  
                At that moment, Rose chose to give a shuddering breath, and her eyes snapped open. And, according to protocol, Dean was right there, pushing a pen and some paper into her weak and shuddering hands.  
                “They…they only just brought the book out. They’re starting.” She said, scribbling down the names.   
                Dean leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Rose’s cheek. “You did good, Kid.” She beamed, despite being exhausted. Dean gave her a smile before he spun on his heel, flagging down Biggs and Sam, while reaching for his com. “It’s a go. I repeat, it’s a go.”  
                As Biggs took over Leah’s position and Sam fell into step behind him, the only response he got that the advance trio had heard his order was the flash of blue lightning, and the resounding and unmistakable sound of C4 being detonated. There was a bright flash of flame and the heat of it reached them even there.  
                “We’re lucky if we don’t send Alec home in a matchbox!” Biggs called from where he was helping Rose bring a bottle of water to her lips.   
                Dean ignored him. “We need to go in  _now_.” He snarled, shoving a piece of paper into Sam’s hand. Sam glanced at it for a moment, puzzled, but then Dean was already tearing through the tree line, heading directly for the hopefully distracted cult inside the cemetery with Leah on his tail, gun drawn and eyes searching. Sam hurried to catch up.  
                It was a war zone. Sam caught a flash of Alec taking down several cult members with his damned P90 semiautomatic before he lost track of him in the movement and explosions.  
                Within moments, he realized that the enhanced senses he had enjoyed since becoming a transgenic were actually a detriment, until suddenly Leah was pressing something into his hand before hurrying to catch up to Dean. Glancing down, he realized they were earplugs. Taking a precious moment to put them in, he readjusted his grip on the gun, and searched for the head priestess ( _bald and snakelike, probably what a female Voldemort would look like_ ), and then he took off. This was it.  
                A ways ahead, Dean was carefully in the very middle of the scattering cult, taking out with military precision every Familiar who was stupid enough to engage him.  
                “Hey.” Amidst the sounds of battle and bloodshed, the single word struck Dean as if it had been shouted in his ear. Slowly, carefully, he turned to face the source of the voice. “Remember me?”   
                For one wild moment, Dean wanted to yell ‘we don’t have time for this, Alec!’, but Alec was on the other side of the graveyard, and there was a flash of gold on this one’s chest.  
                Dean’s hand instinctively grabbed at his own chest, fingers closing around the gold amulet he held more sacred then most religious books.  
                “Been a long time.” It stepped forward in the worn out old boot covered slightly by the faded and ripped jeans, the damned amulet swinging on his chest beneath the shadow of his leather jacket, all leading up to the aged face that Dean hadn’t seen since he looked in the mirror the morning before they stopped Lucifer in 2009.  
                “No…” Dean whispered, fear creeping up his spine.  
                NotDean smiled, and it was a dark perversion of the very smile that Dean had just been wearing. Dean forced his arm to be steady, gun still. “You left the best part of yourself down in Hell, Dean.”  
                Dean’s hand tightened on his gun’s polished grip. “No.”   
                If it was possible, more malice entered the grin and eyes of NotDean. “Why do you think they  _changed_  you, Dean? You were a weak, pathetic, broken little toy. Damaged goods. Not that you were any better  _before_  Hell; Daddy’s little blunt instrument. Your  _clones_ were more original then you. You know that if Alec really wanted to, he could take over the pack. He beat you once already, and easily.”  
                Dean readjusted his grip, cursing his sweating palms. “Shut up.”  
                “Then again, you  _could_  have used your skills; you  _were_  Alistair’s  _star_  pupil. You could have had him screaming, begging for death, broken even the training to resist torture they taught them back at Manticore…” He stepped forward.  
                Dean stepped back. “I said, shut up.”  
                NotDean grinned. “You’re just too much of a coward to admit that you  _enjoyed_  what you were becoming...What I am.” He blinked, and Dean had to fight himself to stay where he was: NotDean’s eyes were jet black. “The only decent thing you can do is die, put yourself out of everyone else’s misery.”  
                :: _Do not listen, Dean. You **did**  leave part of yourself in the Pit, and now you must reclaim it. But you are  **more**  than he is, Dean. There is always shadow with the light—_::  
 _I **never**  want to be  **that**  again!_ He thought frantically.  
                :: _No one can deny part of themselves, Dean. Hasn’t Alec or Keegan or Sam taught you that?_ ::  
                “Just curl up and die, huh?” Dean said, leveling his gaze with the inky black of NotDean’s and feeling a strange lack of fear. He didn’t question it, this wasn’t the time. “You know me; that’s not my style.” And in a moment of perhaps divine inspiration, Dean dove at NotDean, catching him around the middle and tackling him to the ground. “You’re the one who’s nothing!” NotDean snarled and grabbed at him with hands that Dean remembered as a lot stronger than they were now. He was easily able to break the grip. “I know what you are…”  
                :: _Knowing its name helps you control it…_ ::  
                NotDean’s eye’s widened almost comically, and it’s fighting intensified. Dean found the struggles weaker than a trapped Ordinary. He leaned close to NotDean’s ear. “You’re Doubt.” And suddenly he was sitting on the ground, with smoke all around him, getting in his lungs, he was choking—  
                And it was over. He blinked, and looked around for any sign of NotDean, but the sounds of Tanya and Alec fighting off Familiars crashed around his ears. With one last glance around, he shook his head and headed towards Alec, elbowing a teenaged cultist out of the way.  
                However, before he was able to reach them, there was a blast of bright green fire almost as large as the initial explosions that had wrecked the ceremony, and he lost sight of them. He changed direction, heading for the crypt with the gate, when another blast of green fire blocked his path. “Keegan, friendly fire being taken too literal!”  
                “Leave it!” She yelled back, but he wasn’t sure it was English.   
                Shrugging, he moved on towards his initial target, the main alter where the priestess was still trying to sing through her ritual, a small group of followers knotted around her. Sam was already pulling a few of them out of the huddle, and most of them took off after taking one look at him.  
                And suddenly, there was silence.  
                The entire battlefield had gone deadly silent, and the priestess was staring at the Gate now, with an expression of anticipation. Dean and Sam spun towards the Gate as well, expecting Castiel to be working on sealing it as he had sealed all the others.  
                “Keegan?! What the fuck are you doing?!” Dean’s yell caught the attention of Alec and Tanya, who were clearing out the last bit of security out of the area, and generally cleaning out the Cultists who hadn’t surrendered or run. Even Leah froze.  
                Keegan was standing, one hand on the now shaking Gate, looking torn, exceedingly torn.  
                “Keegan, get away from the Gate so Castiel can seal it!” Alec yelled, snapping the Familiar’s neck, already moving towards her.   
                To his shock, Castiel suddenly appeared to block his way, shaking his head. “I can’t seal it yet.” There was pain in his voice. “And don’t make this harder for her-”  
                “Don’t make what—Keegan!” Alec would have easily disabled Jimmy and made his way to his mate…but Castiel was in control, and Alec’s blows, which could have killed his host, did nothing more than annoy the angel. In the blink of an eye, Alec was unconscious.  
                “Do your duty, Keegan.” Castiel said, his voice steady.  
                Dean was frozen. Glancing (since his eyes were the only things he could move), he saw that everyone save Keegan and Castiel were similarly affected. And there was another being standing beside him; old, and glowing with a white light. It smiled sadly at Keegan. “ _It’s why you needed to be here._ ” It was  _God_  standing next to him.  
                “Wrong, wrong…it’s wrong…wrong…” She was mumbling, but her body was moving without her.  
                “ _You’re goddess told you the truth Keegan. I created her so that you could be truly neutral. Do. Your. Duty._ ”   
                Keegan reacted as if she had been slapped. She yanked herself away from the door, her voice breaking on the word ‘no’ even as her magicks swirled from where her hand had been  _and opened the lock on the Devil’s Gate_.  
                In slow motion, the door swung outwards, and the little girl that tormented Dean’s worst nightmares skipped into the moonlight.  
                Overhead, the first shooting star of the meteor shower flew through the atmosphere.  
                Time sped up.  
                “Sam! Read the damned ritual!” Dean said, eyes never leaving Keegan, who had sank to the ground, staring at the Devil’s Gate in horror. In a flash, Alec was there, scooping her up, ignoring her weak attempts to fight him, to get him to leave her in the dead zone.  
                Tentative black smoke-like tendrils had begun to poke out of the doors… And then it was an explosion; a force that rivaled Azazel’s plan to loose Hell on Earth, but Castiel was there, and the door was closing, the smoke cut off, spirits and demons turning in their cloud formation to attack him. But they were being repelled by a bright white light that started from the being next to Dean.   
                He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. “ _You’ll win. I know you will._ ” And then, the white light was gone, and the demons were already running, already spreading into a world that shouldn’t be taking more evil…  
                Castiel was actually  _sweating_  with the exertion of trying to seal the Gate.  
                Dean whirled, looking for Sam, only to find him pulling at his own hair, surrounded by bodies far to mutilated to be done by his hands. Sam met his eyes (his eyes were completely black), and Dean knew. The pull to use the demon blood…the evil in the abilities he had, had grown with the release of demons.  
                Leah was still fighting, Keegan was unconscious in Alec’s arms, Tanya was weak, standing near them, giving off only small charges now…and Lilith was walking ever closer towards the priestess, towards the alter where there must have been something set up for her to trigger.  
                Dean rushed forward, tackling the little girl with a growl that scared even him. “You’re not taking over the world on my watch!”  
                “Dean! You silly goose!” The girl’s white eyes didn’t frighten him. Dean wanted to snap her neck, but was it really a little girl he would be killing? “You don’t know, do you?”  
                “Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna kill you!” Dean snarled in her ear. “How do these make you feel?  _Abitu, Abizu, Hakash-_ ”  
                Lilith’s eyes widened, and her struggles increased. “No!”  
                Dean allowed himself a small smile, his hand gripping the knife Ruby had given them all those years ago, “ _Avers hikpodu, Ayalu-_ ”  
                “I can make a deal with you!” Lilith screamed.  
                Dean just smiled, yanking the little one up by her throat, facing him. “I don’t think so. Just die.  _MATROTA!_ ” And, as the white in her eyes was replaced with inky black, Dean shoved the blade between her ribs, nailing the still heart.  
                Lightning flickered over her skin, and erupted from her mouth as she screamed, and it was echoed by the priestess, and every one of her followers.  
                Dean just looked up, to see a huge comet, it’s tail rainbow and flowing for nearly a mile behind it, fly across the sky. Behind him, the Devil’s Gate rumbled, and then sunk, cracking the cement casing, grass, roots, and the very Earth moving up to swallow it.  
 _It’s over._  The thought echoed in his head.  _It’s over…_  but as he looked around, seeing Leah and Castiel finishing up with the last of the Cult, Dean couldn’t help but wonder,  _At what cost?_


	23. Chapter 23

**TRANS CITY  
FORMERLY TERMINAL CITY  
WASHINGTON  
OCTOBER 31st 2022**  
  
                Max stared at the satellite maps, trying to figure out some sort of pattern.  
                The best military minds couldn’t figure out the movements of the growing caravan that disappeared as easily as the thriving gypsy colonies that still roamed the states. Max liked to think she had an edge; she  _knew_  Alec, but apparently the former Manticore soldier had gone with his genetics rather than training. She had the distinct impression the entire Winchester Clan was laughing at her. After all, if Sketchy, Jo and Ellen could find them, why couldn’t she?  
                She didn’t believe the reports that they were dead. Certain Familiars had thrown themselves at the borders of TC last year, screaming how the great Winchesters had fallen before torching themselves in a media circus that ended up being the salvation of the transgenic nation.  
                She knew immediately something big had gone down, especially when within days, high ranking politicians were resigning or committing suicide rather than being taken in for questioning regarding kidnapping and ritual sacrifice, all with connections to the Cult.  
                As for all the kidnapped people who  _weren’t_  found mutilated, they had just vanished. All of them were rumored to have spectacular gifts and abilities, some rivaling the transgenics Psy-Operatives, all of them were a little like one Samuel Winchester. All who joined the missing Winchesters.  
                Sketchy, Jo and Ellen had to have gone  _somewhere_.  
                “Max! Max!” She spun, following Luke’s voice to see the transhuman darting up the stairs, looking excited. “We got a hit on the car! There’s a gypsy clan moving through Texas and it’s got Sketchy and Jo’s car in it!”  
                Max forced the excitement down, instead looking at a very real possibility. “The car could have been stolen.”  
                Luke just grinned. “True…but I doubt it would be part of a caravan led by several of our bikes and a 1967 Chevy Impala.” And there it was, a clear image of the very car named ‘Baby’ that had disappeared from Logan’s garage not two days after the start of November last year. “Reports from eyewitnesses say that the gypsies aren’t the usual Romany that they’re used to seeing. Many have barcodes on the backs of their necks that they don’t even try to hide…but even more strange are the children, teenagers, some twenty somethings, some who are even older than that, who seem to have preternatural abilities, and black sclera…the whites of their eyes.” He clarified, looking at her confused expression. “I mean, Sam and Dean…they were never species-ist. We _know_ Alec was, but, then again, we also know there’s a smaller group that has been doing hired mercenary work for the Quantico on and off…the USA won’t tell us who it is, only that they are transgenic…which means they have to be part of the Winchester Clan…”  
                Max nodded absently, staring at the photos Luke had handed to her, and just wishing… Sometimes, being free like that really called to her. “ Send out a message to them. Let them know they’re welcome here, as always…”  
                Luke stared at her. “Uh…how?”  
  
 **Continued in:**  
sojourn: tales of the Winchester clan  



End file.
